Bolsonaro Government Told States that It Would Deliver Children's only Halfway to Their Final Destination

The health ministry tried to change the route of delivery of vaccine doses and admits that there was a mismatch

The Ministry of Health tried to change the logistics of delivering vaccines against Covid-19 to states and said that it would deliver the pediatric doses halfway to its final location. This caused confusion in some cities.

In a note, the ministry admitted to Folha that, in the confusion, ministry superintendencies were mobilized for transport and this "caused a mismatch."

Vaccines for children are being delivered by a newly contracted company with little experience in immunization logistics. There have been reports of doses arriving late or in inadequate storage and transport conditions.

Ministry managers warned states that it would be up to the Health Departments to proceed with the logistics of doses to the local cold chain (refrigerators and freezers used to store the product). Folha confirmed the information with representatives of three states.

Questioned by the Folha, the Ministry of Health stated, in a note, however, that some superintendencies of the ministry in the states and state secretariats of Health ended up mobilizing themselves to transport the doses from the airports to the depots.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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