Brazil Health regulator Anvisa announces resumption of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine trial

Brazil’s health regulator on Wednesday, November 11, resumed the clinical trials of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, November 9, Anvisa had suspended the trial after a 'severe incident'. The decision of suspending the trial led to many complaints and speculations that the action was more political than scientific.

Read: Jair Bolsonaro Wants Brazil To 'fight' COVID-19, Says Stop Being A 'country Of Fags'

Trials of COVID-19 vaccine resumes 

According to reports, the health regulator said that it now "has sufficient elements to allow vaccination to resume". Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's critics attributed the suspension to his distrust of China and his political rivalry with Sao Paulo’s governor. As per a statement issued by the agency, it "continues to monitor the investigation of the outcome of the case in order to define the possible causal relationship between the unexpected event and the vaccine". 

Read: Brazil Suspends Trials For China's CoronaVac After ANIVASA Reports 'severe Incident'

Brazil's decision to suspend the clinical trials of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine comes amid the rising number of infections in the country. Earlier in October, Brazil's health regulator authorised the import of a potential vaccine against COVID-19 from China. It was announced just days after Jair Bolsonaro had said that he wouldn't allow vaccine doses to be shipped from the Asian nation.

Reacting to the Brazilain President, Anvisa asserted that Sao Paulo state's Butantan Institute can import 6 million doses of CoronaVac which is being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac. It also added that this vaccine will be administered to the Brazilians only when it is approved locally.

Bolsonaro is yet to comment on Anvisa’s decision to restart the trial.

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(Image Credits: AP)