As the world is now relying on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has decided to not show complete trust in this vaccine.
Bolsonaro, who has often termed COVID-19 as just “a little flu”, believes the vaccines should not be trusted and has claimed he will not be getting vaccinated.
Voicing his concern over the vaccine, he reminded everyone that the company has denied taking responsibility of any side effects caused by the vaccine. “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,” he claimed.
“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,” he continued scaring the people.
His statement has come at a time when the UK, US and several other countries have started mass vaccination drives. Brazil’s regulatory agency Anvisa, too, will soon be certifying the vaccine, as per local reports.
Brazil’s Supreme Court recently also ordered the vaccine to be obligatory. However, it also ruled that this vaccine can not be “forced” on Brazilians, which means that while people cannot be forced to take the vaccine, they can surely be banned from certain places or fine people who fail to get vaccinated.
The mass vaccination drive will be free of cost in Brazil, Bolsonaro reported in the last week while launching the immunization campaign on Wednesday.
While the world is showing trust in the vaccine, despite few hiccups, Bolsonaro has decided to stay away from the needle. “It will be available for everyone that wants it. But me, I won’t get vaccinated,” he said.
Jair Bolsonaro, who supported Donald Trump’s claims of finding cures for te novel coronavirus, had also tested positive for the deadly a few months back.
As of now, Brazil has reported nearly 7.1 million cases with nearly 185,000 deaths from March till December. The country is not in a lockdown anymore, but citizens are advised to practice social distancing and wear face masks when stepping outdoors.( Wion )
