While vaccination against the new coronavirus is progressing in each country, there is a growing movement to use vaccines made in China and Russia in South America, where vaccines developed in the United States and the United Kingdom have not been secured.
In Brazil, which has the third highest cumulative number of infected people in the world, vaccinations made in China began this week.
In Brazil, the emergency use of a vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac and a vaccine developed by British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca was approved on the 17th.
Of these, Sinovac vaccination began this week throughout Brazil, with approximately 1,000 healthcare professionals receiving daily vaccinations at a hospital in the heart of the largest city, São Paulo.
One vaccinated person said, "Vaccines are a hope for our lives. We hope that the situation will improve."
Also, in Argentina, vaccinations made in Russia began last month.
Western media have pointed out that the results of clinical trials conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy of vaccines made in China and Russia in humans have not been sufficiently published.
However, in South America, where vaccines developed in the United States and the United Kingdom have not been secured, there is a growing movement to use vaccines made in China and Russia because they are relatively cheap and easy to manage.
Infection spreads mainly in poor areas Medical pressure is tight
In Brazil, the infection is spreading mainly in poor areas, and the cumulative number of infected people exceeds 8.5 million, which is the third highest in the world, and the number of deaths exceeds 210,000, which is the second highest in the world. ..
Meanwhile, President Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritizes economic measures, said that "I will not inoculate" the vaccine developed in China, which was undergoing clinical trials in Brazil.
Also, on the 1st of this month, I repeated words and actions such as posting on the Internet how I was bathing in the sea, which is crowded with many people.
But then things change.
Despite the government's request to refrain from the infection, the infection spread again after many people went out to the city.
On many days, the number of new infections per day exceeded 80,000 and the death toll exceeded 1,500, and medical conditions began to tighten in many cities.
In the northwestern state of Amazonas, where the rainforest Amazon is home to many infected people, the lack of oxygen and beds required for treatment has become serious, and the state government has reached 100% bed usage in many hospitals. As a result, patients are being transported to other states.
Without finding an effective measure, the Brazilian government relied on a Chinese-made vaccine that President Bolsonaro was reluctant to use.
In a clinical trial conducted in Brazil, the efficacy was about 50%, and citizens were worried about safety, but the Brazilian government met the standards of WHO = World Health Organization on the 17th. Approved as.
Acceleration of support for the Chinese government Brazil is also completely lacking in vaccines
Meanwhile, the Chinese government is also accelerating its support for Brazil.
In addition to promising a shortage of oxygen to hospitals in the Amazon region, where medical conditions are tight, São Paulo is also cooperating in the construction of a factory to manufacture vaccines developed by Sinovac.
However, the number of Chinese-made vaccines secured by Brazil is currently about 10 million, which is not enough for the population of over 200 million people, and the Brazilian government wants to purchase additional vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical companies. is.