Sao Paulo, October 17: The authorities of Brazil's most populous state of Sao Paulo would make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, national media reported, citing governor Joao Doria.

According to the Folha newspaper, only people with certain health conditions would be exempt from the campaign. The law, signed by President Jair Bolsonaro in February, provides for the possibility of mandatory vaccination. The Brazilian leader, however, has since said that no one could force citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and that the vaccination will be voluntary at the federal level. COVID-19 Vaccine Update: UK's Most Vulnerable Could Get Coronavirus Vaccine 'by Christmas 2020'.

The state of Sao Paulo is the most populous in Brazil, as well as the worst-hit by the pandemic. Since the onset of the epidemic, it has registered over 1 million COVID-19 cases, including nearly 38,000 deaths.