Brazil to begin mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Jan. 20

Xinhua
18 Jan 2021, 08:00 GMT+10

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazil will begin mass vaccination against COVID-19 starting Wednesday, its health ministry announced Sunday.

The Brazilian government will begin to distribute vaccines throughout the country starting early Monday morning, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello told a press conference.

The decision came after Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency unanimously approved on Sunday the emergency use of the CoronaVac vaccine, from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, as well as the AstraZeneca-University of Oxford vaccine.

The vaccines will be delivered by the Brazilian Air Force "to strategic points" in each state, and on Wednesday, vaccination will begin throughout the country.

The first vaccine to be distributed in Brazil was CoronaVac, developed by Sinovac in conjunction with the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo, and the first doses were given to health professionals in Sao Paulo moments after the approval.

The Brazilian government has procured 6 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine to be distributed throughout the country.

Despite the vaccine program, the minister urged the population "not to relax in preventive measures."

Brazil has so far registered almost 8.5 million COVID-19 cases, and nearly 210,000 deaths.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to China National News.

More Information

null in null

Business

Section

Wall Street extends rally, Standard and Poor's 500 hits new high

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...

Canadian tax on US tech giants dropped after Trump fury

WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...

Trump-backed crypto project gets $100 million boost from UAE fund

LONDON, U.K.: A little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most prominent public backer of U.S....

DIY weight-loss drug trend surges amid high prices, low access

SAN FRANCISCO, California: Across the U.S., a growing number of people are taking obesity treatment into their own hands — literally....

Apple allows outside payment links under EU pressure

SAN FRANCISCO, California: Under pressure from European regulators, Apple has revamped its App Store policies in the EU, introducing...

Euro, pound surge as U.S. rate cut odds grow after Powell hint

NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar tumbled this week, hitting its lowest levels since 2021 against the euro, British pound, and...

Asia Pacific

Section