COVID-19 cases, deaths down 40% as 60% of Brazilians are vaccinated

Over 96 million Brazilians have received at least the first dose

Published on 27/07/2021 - 14:57 By Agência Brasil - Brasília

As over 96 million Brazilians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least the first dose, the number of cases and deaths from the disease are down approximately 40 percent in a month, according to the Ministry of Health.

The number considers the moving average of cases and deaths from June 25 to July 25 this year. On deaths, the reduction is 42 percent, as it went from a moving average of 1.92 thousand to 1.17 thousand in the period. The number of cases sank to 42.77 thousand, down 40 percent.

Vaccines

Brazil has surpassed the threshold of 60 percent of the population vaccinated with at least one dose of the inoculation against COVID-19. These are 160 million people older than 18. Despite the good mark for the first dose, the ministry reported, people with the immunization cycle complete—in other words, those who received all two doses or the single dose—total 37.9 million.

Health authorities have warned that, in order for vaccines to be fully effective, people must take both doses. “The measure strengthens the immunological system and reduces the chances of a serious and severe infections, and also deaths as a result of COVID-19”, the ministry pointed out.

As for the vaccines, of the 164.4 million doses sent to states, 81.5 million come from AstraZeneca/Oxford, 60.4 million from CoronaVac/Sinovac, 17.8 million from Pfizer/BioNTech, and 4.7 million from Janssen, a single-dose inoculation. “All vaccines have been duly tested, are safe, and have been granted authorization from the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anivsa) to be administered into the arms of Brazilians,” the ministry declared.

Estimates

 By the end of 2021, the government expects that over 600 million doses of the inoculation against the novel coronavirus, purchased in deals with a number of laboratories, are delivered to Brazil’s National Immunization Program. For the month of August, at least 63 million doses should be received.

Starting in October, Brazil should enter a new phase in its vaccination drive, with the delivery of the first all-Brazilian doses. The country signed a technology transfer deal from AstraZeneca to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), which will allow the national production of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for the COVID-19 shot. As it stands today, Brazil only produces vaccines with the imported API.

Translation: Fabrício Ferreira -  Edition: Valéria Aguiar / Kelly Oliveira

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