Brazil’s private clinics have signed a deal for an alternative coronavirus vaccine made by India’s Bharat Biotech. This comes as it also made a diplomatic push to ensure Indian-made shipment of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, AlJazeera reported.

The report stated that Brazil has signed the deal despite “a lack of public results from late-stage trials” of the Indian vaccine.

India approves AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine

An association of private Brazilian clinics declared their intention to secure five million doses of Indian company Bharat Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine. This came a day after India’s health regulator gave its vaccine — Covaxin — a nod for emergency use.

‘MoU signed’

Brazil will be able to secure only one million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine by the second week of February, the head of Brazil’s Fiocruz Institute told Reuters last week.

Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC), who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, revealed that a memorandum of understanding has already been signed by Brazil with Bharat Biotech.

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Barbosa said: “This should be the first vaccine available on the private market in Brazil. The Covaxin doses should arrive in Brazil in mid-March, to be sold by private clinics after regulators there approve the vaccine.”

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech is yet to publish efficacy data of its Covid-19 vaccine.

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