Brazil hasn’t spent a cent on Covaxin deal: Brazil President Bolsonaro
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President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday said that Brazil never paid for or received any doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech, in response to allegations of irregularities in a deal that is currently in the process of investigation.
Federal prosecutors and a special Senate committee are investigating the deal for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin shot, citing that the fact that the government struck a speedy agreement when offers from Pfizer in 2020 at a lower price were ignored at that time.
“We didn’t spend one cent on Covaxin. We didn’t receive one dose of Covaxin. What sort of corruption is this?” President of Brazil Bolsonaro said. The President pledged to take an action if any corruption was discovered in his government. Bolsonaro told that the price for the Bharat vaccines was broadly in line with other countries.
He added that the government’s position has always been to only carry out the purchases of vaccines after they are approved for use by Federal Health Authority Anvisa. Covaxin has yet to receive an approval for public use, although it had received the permission to conduct a phase 3 clinical trial via a Brazilian partner company.
On Wednesday, Bharat Biotech said in a statement that it had yet to provide the vaccine supplies to Brazil and that has been consistent and transparent in its pricing with all the governments.
