Brazil says China 'not transparent' on Covid-19 vaccine emergency use
CoronaVac is undergoing Phase 3 testing in Sao Paulo
Brazil's health regulator Anvisa said on Monday that China's health authorities are not transparent in authorizing emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, a statement that may further inflame political tension in the South American country.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a consistent critic of China, has repeatedly cast doubt on the CoronaVac vaccine being developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, saying its "origin" made it untrustworthy.
Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, authorities have made a hard bet on the vaccine, with Governor Joao Doria, a Bolsonaro enemy, saying the state expected to start vaccinating its residents in January.
Sao Paulo will not be able to begin using the Sinovac vaccine until it is approved by Anvisa, however. While the health regulator has long been largely apolitical, Bolsonaro has been appointing allies to it in recent months, stoking fears among health professionals that its decisions may be affected by political considerations.
"Brazil is the international leader in the evaluation process for CoronaVac," Anvisa said in a statement on its website.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a consistent critic of China, has repeatedly cast doubt on the CoronaVac vaccine being developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, saying its "origin" made it untrustworthy.
Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, authorities have made a hard bet on the vaccine, with Governor Joao Doria, a Bolsonaro enemy, saying the state expected to start vaccinating its residents in January.
Sao Paulo will not be able to begin using the Sinovac vaccine until it is approved by Anvisa, however. While the health regulator has long been largely apolitical, Bolsonaro has been appointing allies to it in recent months, stoking fears among health professionals that its decisions may be affected by political considerations.
"Brazil is the international leader in the evaluation process for CoronaVac," Anvisa said in a statement on its website.
These vaccines showed "very good safety and immunogenicity readings in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials", the official said.
CoronaVac is undergoing Phase 3 testing in Sao Paulo.
Doria said earlier on Monday that efficacy data would be released on 23 December, eight days later than initially planned, to allow for a larger sample size and more complete analysis.
