By adopting a pro-vaccine rhetoric, President Jair Bolsonaro (no party) is trying to stop his drop in popularity, which has been caused by the increase in the number of deaths and by the timid evolution in the population's immunization against the coronavirus.
The president's response to his eroding image is the Plano Vacina - Vaccine Plan. It involves both publications on social media to show the effort of the federal administration in the purchase of vaccines and the recording of videos on investments made in the health sector.
According to interviews given to Folha, the Ministry of Health gave the Planalto Palace an account of what it has been doing so far in the fight against the disease. The hope is to use this account to counter criticism that the president has failed to fight the disease.
The plan also predicts that Bolsonaro will reduce the tension he has created since the beginning of the pandemic, which, in the opinion of presidential aides, has decreased support for him on social media and impacted his approval in opinion polls.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon