BRASILIA, Jan 8, 2021 (BSS/XINHUA) – Brazil has signed an agreement with
the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo to purchase 100 million doses of
CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Chinese company Sinovac, Brazilian
Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said on Thursday.
A total of 46 million doses will be delivered in April and another 54
million doses by the end of the year, Pazuello said during a press
conference.
All vaccines from the Butantan Institute will be incorporated into the
national immunization plan, and will be fairly distributed throughout the
country, the minister said.
The purchase of the CoronaVac vaccine was made possible on the basis of a
decree announced by President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday, which allows the
federal government to purchase COVID-19 vaccines in advance without the
approval of the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency, Pazuello said.
On Thursday, the country reported a record daily count of 87,843 COVID-19
cases with 1,524 more deaths.