Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said Monday the government wants to prioritize the first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 to make mass inoculation and give the second dose later. Mr. Pazuello said that, during an event in Manaus, in reference to the use of AstraZenecaâs vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). According to him, the first dose provides 71% protection against the disease, while two doses would take the immunization âto just over 90%.â âIt is a strategy that the SVS [Health Surveillance Secretariat] will put in place to tackle the pandemic. Perhaps the focus is not on complete immunity, but on the reduction of contamination, and with that the pandemic eases a lot,â the minister said. According to Mr. Pazuello, an analysis of emergency use making its way in federal health regulator Anvisa corresponds to 6 million doses of Sinovacâs vaccine imported from China and 2 million doses of AstraZenecaâs shot brought from India. There is still no request for use of vaccines produced here â just over 200 million doses from Fiocruz and 100 million from Butantan Institute
Government mulls using only one dose of vaccine at first