COVID-19: São Paulo first state to meet vaccination goal

Having reached 90 percent vaccination coverage, São Paulo is the first of the 27 Brazilian states to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVID-19 vaccination target for the eligible population.

The state is reported to have administered over 102 million doses. The 90 percent coverage goal was attained Tuesday (Mar. 15). The percentage is also defined as ideal by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

São Paulo also reported a 73 percent rate of vaccinated children who received the first dose of the vaccine, with 3.9 million doses administered until yesterday afternoon among 5–11-year-olds. For kids having taken the second dose—thus completing immunization for this age group—the percentage stands at 26.87 percent.

“São Paulo was the leading state in Brazil’s vaccination drive. With collaboration from the 645 municipalities, the state was able to expand its vaccination coverage and protect its people. This is a day of celebration for such an important achievement,” said Regiane de Paula, coordinator for the State Immunization Program.

Besides ranking first in the country, the state has surpassed numbers from nations like Spain (84.1%), Canada (81.6%), France (77.8%) Germany (75.7%), the UK (73.2%), and the US (65.8%).