Brazil's public health system (SUS) is free for anyone in the country. During the pandemic, vaccine offers made in 2020 went unanswered for months and the president mocked vaccines; the Senate COVID inquiry recommended charges against Bolsonaro.
With the left
The Mais Médicos program was relaunched to bring doctors to poor outskirts and the countryside. Vaccination campaigns came back, with the mascot Zé Gotinha on the streets again, and child vaccination coverage started rising: 13 of the 16 main vaccines improved in 2023.
With the far right
During the pandemic, Pfizer vaccine offers made in 2020 went unanswered, the president mocked vaccines (“if you turn into an alligator, that’s your problem”) and drugs with no proven effect were promoted. The Senate COVID inquiry concluded that the delay in vaccination cost lives and recommended charges against Bolsonaro.
What is at stake
Public health is what separates a treatable illness from a tragedy. Attacking vaccines and the public health system puts at risk everyone who cannot pay for private care.
It made the news
Not opinion: the press recorded it. Stories showing what the far right did or tried to do on this issue.
- CPI da Covid aprova relatório final com 80 pedidos de indiciamentoThe Covid CPI approved a report recommending the indictment of Bolsonaro and dozens of others.Read the story
- Senador Randolfe Rodrigues revela que Pfizer enviou 53 e-mails ao governo sobre oferta de vacinasPfizer sent 53 emails to the government with vaccine offers that went unanswered.Read the story
- Governo ignorou 10 e-mails da Pfizer sobre vacinas, diz jornalCPI documents show the government ignored at least 10 Pfizer vaccine emails in a month.Read the story
Sources
Where the data on this page comes from.
- Agência Brasil
Relaunch of Mais Médicos in March 2023, with 15,000 new positions.
- Agência Brasil
13 of the 16 main childhood vaccines had higher coverage in 2023.
- Agência Senado
Pfizer told the inquiry the government did not answer its August 2020 vaccine offers.
- Poder360
In December 2020, Bolsonaro said of the vaccine: “if you turn into an alligator, that's your problem”.
- Agência Senado
Final report of the COVID inquiry, recommending charges against Bolsonaro.