Brazil has made a diplomatic push for Indian-made shipment of the British drugmaker AstraZeneca’s vaccine against coronavirus. Private companies of the largest Latin American nation has also struck a preliminary deal with Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trial reported by Reuters
Brazil appears to be at least three or four weeks away from launching any formal immunization campaign against COVID-19. In contrast, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica and other countries in the region have already begun giving shots to their populations.
Amid rising criticism of its slow response and a death count approaching 200,000, second only to the United States, Brazil is now rushing to import finished doses.
However, the chief executive of the Serum Institute of India told Reuters on Sunday that he expected Indian government to restrict export of COVID-19 vaccines.
That raised red flags in Brasilia, where health regulator Anvisa had granted approval on New Year's Eve to import 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. Two people familiar with the matter said diplomats were working to confirm the shipment would not be affected by any export ban. Fiocruz confirmed that Brazil's Foreign Ministry was leading the talks.
Separately, an association of private Brazilian clinics announced plans to buy 5 million doses of a vaccine developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech, a day after India's health regulator gave it emergency use approval
Bharat Biotech has not yet applied for approval by Brazil's health regulator Anvisa for its Covaxin vaccine, and the agency said it would have to undergo Phase III trials in the country.
Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC), who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with Bharat Biotech.
"This should be the first vaccine available on the private market in Brazil," he said, adding that the Covaxin doses should arrive in Brazil in mid-March, to be sold by private clinics after regulators there approve the vaccine.
