China's Health Authorities Are Not Transparent on Emergency Use of COVID-19 Vaccine, Says Brazil

Brasilia, December 15: Brazil on Monday accused China of not being transparent in their authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use. Brazil's health regulator Anvisa's statement is likely to further aggravate political tensions between the two countries. Notably, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has always remained a critic of China. Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Chinese Vaccine has 86% Efficacy, Says UAE.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly expressed concern over Chinese vaccine against COVID-19 CoronaVac. The vaccine was developed by China's Sinovac Biotech. Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria, who is a critic of Bolsonaro, stated that the vaccination in the state would begin from January next year. However, the country's most populous state would not be able to use CoronaVac until approved by Anvisa. COVID-19 Vaccine Latest News: Sinopharm Seeks China's Approval to Launch Anti-Coronavirus Vaccines.

Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbing claimed that the Asian country attaches safety and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19. Around tens of thousands, people have been given Sinovac vaccine as part of the emergency programme. Till now, China has not made details of the vaccine public.

Brazil is the third-worst affected country in the world due to COVID-19. Over 69 lakh people have contracted the deadly virus so far in the South American country. Around 1,80,000 people have also lost their lives due to coronavirus. Currently, there are over 7,30,000 active cases in Brazil.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2020 04:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).