Brazilian Parliament approves the law allowing companies to buy COVID-19 vaccines

RIO DE JANEIRO (Sputnik) - The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday the basic text of the law that allows private companies to buy vaccines against COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus). The Chamber of Deputies reported that the basic text of Senate law 534/21 was approved, "which authorizes states, municipalities and the private sector to buy vaccines against COVID-19 with registration or temporary authorization for use in Brazil." The text determines that in the case of vaccines purchased by the private sector, at the moment all doses must be donated to the Unified Health System (SUS), the Brazilian public health system.

Once all the priority groups determined by the National Immunization Plan (PNI) of the Ministry of Health are going to been vaccinated, companies will be able to buy, distribute and administer vaccines, but always free of charge.

They must also donate half of the amounts they buy to public health.