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Brazil cannot be used for anti-vaccine tourism, says director of Anvisa

November 29, 2021
11:58 PM

The director of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) Alex Campos told CNN this Monday (29) that the vaccination certificate against Covid-19 is essential for Brazil, especially in border control, as the country “cannot be used for anti-vaccination tourism.”

“The vaccine proved to be effective to contain infections, reduce hospitalizations and contain deaths. We are on the eve of the end of the year festivities, the vacation period, and Brazil is a tourist country. Brazil cannot serve as anti-vaccination tourism, for people who do not get vaccinated in other countries and come to Brazil”, he said.

This Monday (29th), the restrictions in Brazil on flights originating from or passing through the Republic of South Africa, Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Essuatini, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Namibia and Republic of Zimbabwe became effective.

The decision is based on the opinion of Anvisa recommending restrictions to contain the spread of the Ômicron variant, classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of concern, and technical assessment of the Ministries of Health, Justice and Public Security, Infrastructure and Civil House.

TO CNN, Campos assessed that having vaccines as a border instrument is “something urgent”. According to him, the “pandemic is not over” and the time is for “caution”.

“Anvisa defends the opening of borders with health security. Anvisa’s own measure is not closure, but restrictions on those arriving in the country. We are talking about a protocol supported by science, the result of the vaccines is resounding from the point of view of public health”, he stated.

“People want to be by the side of those who are vaccinated, we cannot encourage people to arrive in the country without the vaccine”.

The ordinance that supports the restrictions was published last Saturday (27) in the form of Ordinance 660, which replaces Ordinance 658, of October 5, 2021. Check the restrictions.

The decision, which considers changes in exceptional and temporary restrictions on entry into Brazil during the pandemic, also temporarily suspends the authorization to board the foreign traveler’s country, whether traveling or with a ticket, in the last 14 days before boarding, by these countries.

“It is possible that the variant is already circulating in the country. The countries have robust genome testing and identification schemes so that the nation can adopt other measures to contain the spread of the variant”, said the director of Anvisa.

According to him, there is no “heroic measure” to contain the virus, but that the care taken helps to delay the epidemiological scenario.

“Within the borders there is no heroic measure. A heroic measure is closing borders, and in a globalized world it is impossible to close airports. However, these measures help to delay and assess the epidemiological scenario and allow the health system and authorities to organize themselves to make decisions to control the virus”, he said.

“We are talking to authorities around the world to assess the effectiveness of vaccines against this variant. We hope that this information comes out in the next few days so that we can even revisit these restrictions, which impose a lot of discomfort for those outside the country.”

Reference: CNN Brasil