The Chinese coronavirus vaccine produced by the Sinovac-Biotech lab landed in Brazil in the early hours of this Monday (20). It will be tested in Brazil in partnership with the Butantan Institute.
The vaccine arrived on a Lufthansa flight that left Frankfurt on Sunday (19) and arrived at 4:12 am at Guarulhos airport, in SP.
The 20,000 doses will now be distributed in 12 centers in six states - São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal District.
The first doses will be applied on Tuesday (21), in selected professionals at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo. After that, tests in other centers begin.
More than one million people accessed the registration platform launched by the government of São Paulo to recruit volunteers, all from the health area. In total, 9,000 will be selected to be part of the experiment.
Scientists at the Butantan Institute are optimistic. The Chinese vaccine is one of the most advanced tests.
The forecast is that in December there will already be a definitive conclusion about its effectiveness. If all goes well, priority groups, such as the elderly, people with comorbidities, and health professionals, will be able to receive the vaccine in Brazil in the first quarter.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon