More than 18 million Brazilians have not received the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine

The Ministry of Health of Brazil warned this Tuesday that “more than 18 million Brazilians” have not returned to hospitals on the day scheduled to be administered the second dose of the vaccine against coronavirus covid-19.

Although the number of people with the second late dose has decreased by 10% in the last week, the ministry said that it is “concerned” about the contingent of the population that should be with the complete vaccination cycle and is not for unknown reasons.

The Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, recalled in a statement that one of the reasons why the pandemic has followed a downward trend since June is the progress of the vaccination campaign, which began on January 17.

“Despite having a calmer setting (…) it is not the time to relax. We all know that only with the second dose we guarantee maximum protection against the disease, ”the minister warned.

Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by covid-19 along with the United States and India, accounting for some 605,000 deaths and 21.7 million positives since the start of the health crisis, exactly 20 months ago.

To date, 72% of the 213 million Brazilians have received the first dose, while 52% already have the complete immunization cycle, according to official data.

Despite the high number of laggards with the second dose, the data show the good reception that the vaccine has had among Brazilians, despite the denial of President Jair Bolsonaro, who denies the seriousness of the virus, censors social distancing and doubts the effectiveness of the masks and the vaccines themselves.

The Bolsonaro government’s management of the pandemic was investigated by a commission in the Senate that, in its final report, still pending approval, has accused the president of nine crimes, including “crimes against humanity.”

_______________________________