João Doria

The São Paulo state Governor, João Dória, announced Thursday the immunizations against Covid-19 would start in January using the Coronavac vaccine, from the Chinese company Sinovac. A day before of São Paulo's announcement the Brazilian Ministry of Health announced a country-wide immunization would start only in March.

"In São Paulo, responsibly, following the law, next January, following the protocol with Anvisa and obeying the principles of life protection, we will start immunizing Brazilians in São Paulo. We will not wait until March" said Doria.

The governor of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, João Doria, announced Monday that the first 120,000 doses of Coronavac vaccine would arrive in the state on November 20.

Coronavac is still in the phase 3 of tests, the last one to prove its effectiveness, and its use in Brazil depends on the approval by National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA).

São Paulo expects to receive 6 million doses, out of 46 million purchased by the state, until the end of 2020. The other 40 million will be produced locally, using ingredients provided by Sinovac Biotech.

Contradicting the President Jair Bolsonaro, Vice President Hamilton Mourão stated the country will “of course” buy a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine that is being tested in the country. In an interview to the Veja magazine, the Brazilian vice president reduced the controversy over the "Chinese vaccine" to a political fight between Bolsonaro and the governor of Sao Paulo, João Doria (PSDB).

On Wednesday, October 28, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorised the import of raw material for the Butantan Institute to produce 40 million doses of CoronaVac.

São Paulo state governor, João Doria, announced Wednesday that he tested positive for Covid-19. He is the 11th governor to test positive for the disease in Brazil.

Doria, who is 62 years old, and therefore part of the group at risk for the disease, said she has no symptoms and feels well.