Brazil's health regulator asks President Bolsonaro to withdraw criticism of Covid-19 vaccine

The head of Anvisa, Brazil's health regulator, has asked President Jair Bolsonaro, who is skeptical of vaccines, to retract his remarks criticizing the agency for allowing vaccination of children in the fight against Covid-19.

In a letter to Bolsonaro published late Saturday (8/1/2022), retired first admiral Antonio Barra Torres asked the president to support his assertion that there was an undisclosed "interest" behind the vaccine decision or take his word back. Bolsonaro criticized Anvisa on Thursday for approving the use of PfizerInc's pediatric vaccine for children aged 5-11, saying he had never heard of children dying of Covid-19.

"What's behind this? What's in the vaccine maniac's interest?" Bolsonaro stated in a radio interview.

Bolsonaro, a far-right leader who brags about himself being unvaccinated and has consistently doubted the efficacy and safety of coronavirus vaccines .

He said the injections could have side effects on children. But Bolsonaro gave no evidence.

Anvisa and health regulators around the world have found that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe for those aged 5 years and over. According to the state council of health secretaries, at least 300 children aged 5 to 11 have died in Brazil from Covid-19.

The president's office did not respond to a request for comment on the letter, which comes just days after other differences between Bolsonaro and the military. The Brazilian army differed from the president last week on how to deal with Covid-19. The armed forces ordered soldiers to be vaccinated, wear masks and maintain social distancing, and warned them not to spread fake news about the pandemic.

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