Brand Vaccines and Ignorance in Brazil

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Abstract

tion, and I waited. Thirty seconds later, he came back. As he got into the car, a man wearing gym clothes passed him and asked:MAN — Are they vaccinating pedestrians, too?RANGE ROVER OWNER —Yes, the entrance is down there!MAN — Do you know what vaccine it is?RANGE ROVER OWNER — (STARRED) They just told me! Coronavac!I thought, “Wow! That way, it takes me less time to take the second shot!” (Here in Brazil, the two most used vaccines are Coronavac, which is Chinese, and the English AstraZeneca. The second shot of Coronavac is taken a month later. The second shot of AstraZeneca is taken three months later.)But the owner of the Range Rover was terrified! So he got in the car and came out screeching!The combination of naivety and ignorance of a large part of the Brazilian peo

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ple, including the “elite,” as in this gentleman's case, is impressive. Ignorance because politicizing something as essential as health, especially in the situation we live in, cannot be called another name. Naivety because believing that one of the vaccines, even approved by national and international health agencies, is causing severe problems is something for those who do not use their heads much. Doesn’t anyone remember the vaccine approval process? How things got suspended when there was a strong reaction or a death?The health system has rigorous procedures because it deals with lives.I know it’s hard to believe, as the examples we currently have — especially in Brazil — are worse even than my writer’s mind tends to imagine… But there are people in positions of power out there who know how science works and care about human life.</article></body>

How is it possible for a government to politicize health in such a shameful way?

source: personal files

Today, it was finally time for my comorbidity — being born in 1970 — and I was vaccinated at Club Athletico Paulistano, a place frequented by the elite here. Fortunately, it was a drive-thru, so I joined the line of cars.

In front of me, a beautiful black Range Rover.

I thought, “Yeah, I’m floating in the cream of society!”

The car’s owner, however, turned it off, got out, and closed it, running towards the first girl who coordinated the vaccination. I figured he had gone to ask for some information, and I waited. Thirty seconds later, he came back. As he got into the car, a man wearing gym clothes passed him and asked:

MAN — Are they vaccinating pedestrians, too?

RANGE ROVER OWNER —Yes, the entrance is down there!

MAN — Do you know what vaccine it is?

RANGE ROVER OWNER — (STARRED) They just told me! Coronavac!

I thought, “Wow! That way, it takes me less time to take the second shot!” (Here in Brazil, the two most used vaccines are Coronavac, which is Chinese, and the English AstraZeneca. The second shot of Coronavac is taken a month later. The second shot of AstraZeneca is taken three months later.)

But the owner of the Range Rover was terrified! So he got in the car and came out screeching!

The combination of naivety and ignorance of a large part of the Brazilian people, including the “elite,” as in this gentleman's case, is impressive. Ignorance because politicizing something as essential as health, especially in the situation we live in, cannot be called another name. Naivety because believing that one of the vaccines, even approved by national and international health agencies, is causing severe problems is something for those who do not use their heads much. Doesn’t anyone remember the vaccine approval process? How things got suspended when there was a strong reaction or a death?

The health system has rigorous procedures because it deals with lives.

I know it’s hard to believe, as the examples we currently have — especially in Brazil — are worse even than my writer’s mind tends to imagine… But there are people in positions of power out there who know how science works and care about human life.