Brazil vaccinates children, Bolsonaro objects
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Brazil announces vaccinating young children, despite President Jair Bolsonaro's objection, who requested to know the names of those responsible for the decision.
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More than 20 million children are eligible for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, as long as they have parental consent.
Brazil began vaccinating children aged five to 11 against COVID-19, on Friday, after the move was approved despite objections from President Jair Bolsonaro.
Davi Seremramiwe Xavante, an indigenous eight-year-old boy, was the first child to be vaccinated during an official ceremony at a Sao Paulo hospital, with the state governor Joao Doria in attendance.
The new age group was approved for vaccination by Anvisa health authorities a month ago.
More than 20 million children are eligible for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, as long as they have parental consent.
Indigenous people and children with health problems are priority groups for vaccination.
Bolsonaro has repeatedly criticized the move and has insisted he would never vaccinate his 11-year-old daughter, Laura.
He, unvaccinated, caused a storm when he asked to have the names of those responsible for approving the move made public.
An association representing Anvisa officials blasted Bolsonaro's "fascist methods" and the authority's president demanded police protection for staff following threats.
According to official health ministry figures, more than 300 children aged five to 11 have died from COVID in Brazil, among a total of 620,000 deaths out of the country's 213 million population.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
