Bolsonaro management let it win and burned 370,000 doses of vaccine against Covid-19

The management of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) let 370,000 doses of vaccine against Covid-19 from AstraZeneca expire and had to incinerate hundreds of thousands of expired immunizers, said on Thursday (26) the current director of the Department of Immunizations from the Ministry of Health, Eder Gatti.

At a meeting of the Tripartite Interagency Commission (CIT), which brings together representatives of the ministry and the municipal and state health departments, the director also stated that the current management found at least four immunizers at risk of shortages: BCG, hepatitis B, polio (vaccine oral) and triple viral.

Gatti stated that the ministry’s current management has been trying to negotiate with suppliers to regularize deliveries. The director detailed the main causes for the low supply of each of the vaccines.

In the case of the BCG vaccine, given to newborns and which protects against tuberculosis, the ban on the Ataupho Paiva Foundation, in Rio de Janeiro, and the delay in delivering doses purchased abroad are some of the reasons for the low stock. Gatti claimed that the ministry has already managed to unlock and receive 2.5 million doses and that another 2 million will be received by the end of the month.

Regarding the hepatitis B vaccine, the director stated that the schedule is being negotiated with the Butantan Institute, which is negotiating with a private partner.

The delivery schedule for the oral polio vaccine is also being negotiated with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), which had a problem with the supplier of tubes, according to the ministry.

The triple viral vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, is low on stock because more doses were used than expected in 2022. According to Gatti, 4 million vaccines will be received in February.