Recife, Brazil
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, one of the world’s most skeptical leaders about the new coronavirus, said Wednesday that the “best vaccine” against covid-19 is the virus itself, which it already leaves almost 190,000 dead in the country.
“I had the best vaccine: it was the virus. And no side effects,” said Bolsonaro, who contracted the coronavirus and is already recovering from the disease, to a group of fans, the vast majority without wearing a mask. , during his visit to the city of San Francisco do Sul, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, bordering Argentina.
As he did in recent days, Bolsonaro once again met with fans without using protective equipment and even went so far as to declare that he “does not use them” to one of his supporters.
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The president usually meets with his cabinet, participates in public events and receives supporters on the outskirts of Palau da Alvorada, the presidential residence in the capital Brasilia, without a mask or social distancing.
Since the start of the pandemic in Brazil last February, Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the impact of the coronavirus, which he came to call “flu”, although he acknowledged last week that it could have ” some exaggeration “.
The far-right leader also defended the use of unscientific treatments, such as hydroxychloroquine, and more recently opposed the mandatory covid vaccine, which was eventually determined by the Supreme Court.
This week, Bolsonaro ironically criticized the vaccine of the Pfizer-BionTech consortium (United States-Germany) for saying that this manufacturer had relieved itself of responsibility for the possible side effects of the antidote.
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“If you become an alligator then it’s a problem of your own,” the head of state posted on his Twitter profile when commenting on Pfizer-BioNTech’s requirement to supply vaccines to South American country, a of those most affected by the pandemic alongside the United States and India.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, Brazil has so far counted 189,220 dead and about 7.4 million infected.