Health Desk- 13 Dec 2020: The Brazilian government unveiled its long-awaited national vaccination plan against COVID-19 on Saturday with an initial goal of vaccinating 51 million people, or about one-fourth of the population, in the first half of 2021.
In a document sent to the Supreme Court, which had given the government a deadline to draw up the plan, the Health Ministry said 108 million doses will be available for priority vaccination of vulnerable groups that include health workers, elderly people and indigenous communities.
The plan says 70% of the population – or about 148 million of Brazil’s 212 million people – need to be immunized to stop the virus spreading. The current plan covers just about one third of that goal.
The plan, which says each person will need two doses, does not mention a starting date for vaccination of the population nor does it detail the supplies of vaccines that it will need.
Brazil is in the midst of the world’s second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak after the United States, with more than 180,000 deaths.
On Thursday, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello pledged to vaccinate Brazil’s entire population against COVID-19 next year.
