Empty vials of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are seen in a tray during a mass vaccination campaign at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Feb 25, 2021. SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil's government on Monday pressed Pfizer for earlier delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and sought to buy more AstraZeneca shots from other countries, as a deadly second wave of cases adds urgency to a lethargic vaccine rollout.
The AstraZeneca shot, along with a vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech, have been Brazil's strongest bet against a surging outbreak, with the homegrown P1 variant of the coronavirus apparently boosting transmission and reinfection. Preliminary studies suggest the AstraZeneca vaccine will protect against the P1 variant, Mauricio Zuma, the head of production at Brazil's Fiocruz biomedical institute, said on Monday, confirming a Reuters report on Friday.A Brazilian study also indicates that the Sinovac shot is effective against the P1 variant, a source familiar with the study told Reuters on Monday.
Less than 4% of Brazil's 210 million residents have been inoculated against COVID-19 due to a string of missteps by the Health Ministry, which Bolsonaro has stocked with military men with little public health experience.
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