Brazil is brilliant at vaccinations. So what went wrong this time?

When it comes to Covid-19 vaccination programs, there are some countries that have exceeded expectations and others that have fallen surprisingly short. And then there is Brazil. Vaccinating over 210 million people may sound daunting, but for Brazil it really shouldn’t be. With one of the largest universal, free-of-charge public health systems in the world, the country has a distinguished track record of vaccinations and disease control. The National Immunization Program, founded in 1973, helped to eradicate polio and rubella in the country and currently offers more than 20 vaccines free in every municipality.

Along with the infrastructure to distribute vaccines, there’s also the expertise to do so: in 1980, the country vaccinated 17.5 million children against polio in a single day. In 2010, over 89 million doses of the swine flu vaccine were administered in under four months. And last year, more than 70 million Brazilians received their annual shot against influenza.

But despite these advantages, Brazil’s vaccine rollout has been painfully slow, inconsistent and marred by shortages. The nationwide program began on Jan. 18, later than over 50 countries, and its current rate will take more than four years to complete. Several major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, have already had to stop their campaigns because of problems in supply. In a country where the pandemic has wrought terrible damage, the failure amounts to a disaster. So what went wrong? Perhaps we should look to "Zé Gotinha", Joe Droplet: He seems to know exactly who to blame.

From the beginning, Mr. Bolsonaro’s government downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. The president fought against masks and social distancing measures, comparing the coronavirus to rain that would fall on most people while drowning just some of them. ("It’s no use staying home crying," he recently said, after the country registered 1,452 deaths on a single day.) In the middle of the outbreak, he managed to get rid of two health ministers - both doctors - who threatened to contradict him, replacing them with an army general.

From: shorturl.at/vwEMQ. Accessed on 04/17/2021

Brazil is brilliant at vaccinations. So what went wrong this time?

When it comes to Covid-19 vaccination programs, there are some countries that have exceeded expectations and others that have fallen surprisingly short. And then there is Brazil. Vaccinating over 210 million people may sound daunting, but for Brazil it really shouldn’t be. With one of the largest universal, free-of-charge public health systems in the world, the country has a distinguished track record of vaccinations and disease control. The National Immunization Program, founded in 1973, helped to eradicate polio and rubella in the country and currently offers more than 20 vaccines free in every municipality.

Along with the infrastructure to distribute vaccines, there’s also the expertise to do so: in 1980, the country vaccinated 17.5 million children against polio in a single day. In 2010, over 89 million doses of the swine flu vaccine were administered in under four months. And last year, more than 70 million Brazilians received their annual shot against influenza.

But despite these advantages, Brazil’s vaccine rollout has been painfully slow, inconsistent and marred by shortages. The nationwide program began on Jan. 18, later than over 50 countries, and its current rate will take more than four years to complete. Several major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, have already had to stop their campaigns because of problems in supply. In a country where the pandemic has wrought terrible damage, the failure amounts to a disaster. So what went wrong? Perhaps we should look to "Zé Gotinha", Joe Droplet: He seems to know exactly who to blame.

From the beginning, Mr. Bolsonaro’s government downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. The president fought against masks and social distancing measures, comparing the coronavirus to rain that would fall on most people while drowning just some of them. ("It’s no use staying home crying," he recently said, after the country registered 1,452 deaths on a single day.) In the middle of the outbreak, he managed to get rid of two health ministers - both doctors - who threatened to contradict him, replacing them with an army general.

From: shorturl.at/vwEMQ. Accessed on 04/17/2021

Brazil is brilliant at vaccinations. So what went wrong this time?

When it comes to Covid-19 vaccination programs, there are some countries that have exceeded expectations and others that have fallen surprisingly short. And then there is Brazil. Vaccinating over 210 million people may sound daunting, but for Brazil it really shouldn’t be. With one of the largest universal, free-of-charge public health systems in the world, the country has a distinguished track record of vaccinations and disease control. The National Immunization Program, founded in 1973, helped to eradicate polio and rubella in the country and currently offers more than 20 vaccines free in every municipality.

Along with the infrastructure to distribute vaccines, there’s also the expertise to do so: in 1980, the country vaccinated 17.5 million children against polio in a single day. In 2010, over 89 million doses of the swine flu vaccine were administered in under four months. And last year, more than 70 million Brazilians received their annual shot against influenza.

But despite these advantages, Brazil’s vaccine rollout has been painfully slow, inconsistent and marred by shortages. The nationwide program began on Jan. 18, later than over 50 countries, and its current rate will take more than four years to complete. Several major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, have already had to stop their campaigns because of problems in supply. In a country where the pandemic has wrought terrible damage, the failure amounts to a disaster. So what went wrong? Perhaps we should look to "Zé Gotinha", Joe Droplet: He seems to know exactly who to blame.

From the beginning, Mr. Bolsonaro’s government downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. The president fought against masks and social distancing measures, comparing the coronavirus to rain that would fall on most people while drowning just some of them. ("It’s no use staying home crying," he recently said, after the country registered 1,452 deaths on a single day.) In the middle of the outbreak, he managed to get rid of two health ministers - both doctors - who threatened to contradict him, replacing them with an army general.

From: shorturl.at/vwEMQ. Accessed on 04/17/2021

In food-rich Brazil, people go hungry as pandemic rages (Part III)

Because of the swelling ranks of the new poor, city officials now give out 10,000 free meals a day, an increase of one-third. In Rio, too, "The issue of food is one of extreme urgency,"said Bruno Dauaire, the secretary of social development and human rights in the state of Rio. "Not long ago we did not even talk about poverty and hunger in the city of Rio, and now we are confronting this issue,"said Dauaire.

NGOs try to make up for governments that are struggling financially and overwhelmed by the pandemic, but they are faced with much lower donations. "Those who help are helping less,"said Claudia Carletto, secretary of human rights and citizen issues in Sao Paulo. The Red Cross of Sao Paulo, which hands out 2,000 food baskets a day, says the cash donations it receives are down 99 percent. "People need more help and for longer stretches of time,"said Bruno Semino, head of that branch of the Red Cross. The lack of donations, he said, "has a major impact on our operations."

In 2020, Accion de la Ciudadania used to distribute 80; 000 to 100; 000 food baskets a month all over Brazil. This year, it is down to 8; 000 to 10; 000: "We operate where the government is absent,"said Afonso of Accion Ciudadana. "Unfortunately, in recent years the government is absent from many places."

From: shorturl.at/wJKRZ. Accessed on 04/17/2021

In food-rich Brazil, people go hungry as pandemic rages (Part III)

Because of the swelling ranks of the new poor, city officials now give out 10,000 free meals a day, an increase of one-third. In Rio, too, "The issue of food is one of extreme urgency,"said Bruno Dauaire, the secretary of social development and human rights in the state of Rio. "Not long ago we did not even talk about poverty and hunger in the city of Rio, and now we are confronting this issue,"said Dauaire.

NGOs try to make up for governments that are struggling financially and overwhelmed by the pandemic, but they are faced with much lower donations. "Those who help are helping less,"said Claudia Carletto, secretary of human rights and citizen issues in Sao Paulo. The Red Cross of Sao Paulo, which hands out 2,000 food baskets a day, says the cash donations it receives are down 99 percent. "People need more help and for longer stretches of time,"said Bruno Semino, head of that branch of the Red Cross. The lack of donations, he said, "has a major impact on our operations."

In 2020, Accion de la Ciudadania used to distribute 80; 000 to 100; 000 food baskets a month all over Brazil. This year, it is down to 8; 000 to 10; 000: "We operate where the government is absent,"said Afonso of Accion Ciudadana. "Unfortunately, in recent years the government is absent from many places."

From: shorturl.at/wJKRZ. Accessed on 04/17/2021