Brazil starts distribution of 3.9 m vaccines against COVID-19

BRASILIA. KAZINFORM - The São Paulo state government today (Feb. 23) announced that 3.9 million doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 will be delivered as part of the Health Ministry’s National Immunizations Program (PNI), Agencia Brasil reports.

Today, a shipment with 1.2 million doses will be dispatched, plus another 900 thousand flasks tomorrow. By Sunday (28), another three batches of 600 thousand doses will be allocated for shipping on February 25, 26, and 28.

From February 5 to March 5, the São Paulo government estimates it will deliver 5.6 million doses to the immunization program—up 65 percent from the amount originally forecast.

«Early in March, the Butantan Institute will make available another 1.7 million vaccines for the immunization of the country. Shipments scheduled include 600 thousand doses on March 2; 500 thousand on March 4; and 600 on March 5,» the São Paulo government stated in a note.

The doses dispatched today are part of the batch of vaccines packaged at Butantan with the active pharmaceutical ingredient from China’s Sinovac Life Science. The institute has delivered 90 percent of all vaccines used in public hospitals across the country and assembled a task force to package doses at a faster pace to have them sent to the national immunization program.

Butantan is among Brazil’s vaccine manufacturers and belongs to the state of São Paulo.