New Delhi: While people have been eagerly waiting for a coronavirus vaccine to get back to their normal life, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has cautioned them against taking shots, claiming that the one developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech could turn people into crocodiles or bearded ladies. His remarks come as vaccinations have started in a number of countries, including the US and UK, following the approval of Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine.

Expressing his concern over the side-effects of vaccine, the Brazilian president who has often called coronavirus ‘a little flu’, warned people against vaccine complacency. Bolsonaro also claimed that he won’t get vaccinated, even while launching the country’s mass inoculation drive.

“In the Pfizer contract it’s very clear: ‘we’re not responsible for any side effects.’ If you turn into a crocodile, it’s your problem,” Bolsonaro stated. Notably, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is already being used in the United States and Britain and has been undergoing tests in Brazil for weeks.

Launching a scathing attack on the drug manufacturers, Bolsonaro, further said, “If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they will not have anything to do with it.”

The video of his bizarre speech spread like wildfire and grabbed a lot of eyeballs across social media. Mocking Bolsonaro, Twitterati asserted that they would prefer turning into a reptile rather than losing their lives to the deadly virus.

On December 16, two healthcare workers, who received Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, developed “concerning reactions”. A report in The New York Times said the two health care workers at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine this week. One staff member was hospitalised for a few days.

One of the healthcare workers, a middle-aged woman, had no history of allergies but had an anaphylactic reaction 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate, the report said.

The second worker, on the other hand, developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with medication including epinephrine and Benadryl. The worker was back to normal within an hour and discharged.