Brazil senator says Bolsonaro never wanted Covid-19 vaccines, preferred herd immunity | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Wednesday
July 02, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
WEDNESDAY, JULY 02, 2025
Brazil senator says Bolsonaro never wanted Covid-19 vaccines, preferred herd immunity

World+Biz

Reuters
22 May, 2021, 01:20 pm
Last modified: 22 May, 2021, 01:21 pm

Related News

  • Brazil prosecutors sue Chinese carmaker BYD for violating labor rights
  • Brazil police foil bomb plot targeting packed Lady Gaga concert in Rio
  • Woman jailed for 14 years in Brazil after 'lipstick coup'
  • Brazil urging tougher emissions goals ahead of climate summit: sources
  • Supporters gather in Sao Paulo to back Bolsonaro as he faces trial

Brazil senator says Bolsonaro never wanted Covid-19 vaccines, preferred herd immunity

In an interview, Senator Renan Calheiros said it is too early to say if Bolsonaro had committed any criminal offense in his management of the public health crisis, and that more investigation is required

Reuters
22 May, 2021, 01:20 pm
Last modified: 22 May, 2021, 01:21 pm
A health worker prepares a dose of vaccine at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand, April 5, 2021. Photo: Reuters
A health worker prepares a dose of vaccine at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand, April 5, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro never wanted to buy Covid-19 vaccines and originally bet on herd immunity beating the coronavirus, the senator leading the upper house's inquiry into the government's handling of the crisis said on Friday.

In an interview, Senator Renan Calheiros said it is too early to say if Bolsonaro had committed any criminal offense in his management of the public health crisis, and that more investigation is required.

"I think everything points in that direction," Calheiros said, regarding Bolsonaro's preference for herd immunity.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

"The president first denied the disease, called it a flu, and then argued against social isolation and lockdown. Then he played down the use of masks and encouraged crowds to gather," Calheiros said.

"Why is that? Because of herd immunity, the natural immunity ... you have to encourage crowds and the spread of the virus," Calheiros added.

"This is why he never wanted a vaccine," Calheiros said of Bolsonaro, noting that the president was slow in spending billions of dollars given to him by Congress earlier in the pandemic to buy vaccines from overseas.

Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a given population achieves immunity to a disease, sometimes through widespread infection, thereby reducing the chances of person-to-person spread.

The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Calheiros is a veteran lawmaker and Bolsonaro critic. His report is expected to focus on the government's delays in securing vaccines, including the details of drawn-out negotiations with foreign drugmakers, and missteps in Amazonas where an infectious new variant arose.

Brazil has recorded nearly 16 million cases of Covid-19 and nearly 450,000 deaths, the second-highest death toll in the world after the United States. Bolsonaro has drawn criticism from detractors in Brazil due to his efforts to minimize the dangers of the coronavirus, shun masks and push unproven remedies.

Bolsonaro and his allies previously sought to have Calheiros removed from leading the inquiry, saying he could not be impartial because his son is the governor of Alagoas state and the inquiry would probe federal funding of state programs.

Brazil / Covid-19 vaccines / Bolsonaro / herd immunity

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Infographic: TBS
    May sees below 7% pvt credit growth amid political, banking strains
  • Representational image. File photo: TBS
    Container congestion eases at Ctg Port, full recovery expected within a week
  • BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman spoke at a discussion organised by BNP marking the first anniversary of the July-August mass uprising, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital today (1 July). Photo: TBS
    Need to consider if proportional representation fits Bangladesh's context: Tarique Rahman

MOST VIEWED

  • Showkat Ali Chowdhury, the chairman of Eastern Bank Limited (EBL). File photo
    Bank accounts of Eastern Bank chairman, his family frozen
  • Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Photo: Zia Chowdhury
    Airport officials instructed to pay close attention during baggage screening for all VIP and VVIP passengers
  • Bangladesh Bank. File Photo: Collected
    Banks to remain open for transactions till 6pm today
  • Representational image. Photo Mumit M/TBS
    Tariff renegotiation in power sector a disaster for investors: Chinese Enterprises Association
  • Govt lowers interest rates on savings instruments
    Govt lowers interest rates on savings instruments
  • NBR Office in Dhaka. File Photo: Collected
    NBR officers should captain revenue authority, businesses tell finance adviser

Related News

  • Brazil prosecutors sue Chinese carmaker BYD for violating labor rights
  • Brazil police foil bomb plot targeting packed Lady Gaga concert in Rio
  • Woman jailed for 14 years in Brazil after 'lipstick coup'
  • Brazil urging tougher emissions goals ahead of climate summit: sources
  • Supporters gather in Sao Paulo to back Bolsonaro as he faces trial

Features

Illustration: TBS

Ulan Daspara: Remnants of a fishing village in Dhaka

1d | Panorama
Photo: Collected

Innovative storage accessories you’ll love

2d | Brands
Two competitors in this segment — one a flashy newcomer, the other a hybrid veteran — are going head-to-head: the GAC GS3 Emzoom and the Toyota CH-R. PHOTOS: Nafirul Haq (GAC Emzoom) and Akif Hamid (Toyota CH-R)

GAC Emzoom vs Toyota CH-R: The battle of tech vs trust

2d | Wheels
Women farmers, deeply reliant on access to natural resources for both farming and domestic survival, are among the most affected, caught between ecological collapse and inadequate structural support. Photo: Shaharin Amin Shupty

Hope in the hills: How women farmers in Bandarban are weathering the climate crisis

2d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

What Crime Experts Are Saying About Violence Against Women and Rape

What Crime Experts Are Saying About Violence Against Women and Rape

7h | Podcast
Why is the 'Squid Game' so popular worldwide?

Why is the 'Squid Game' so popular worldwide?

8h | Others
Russia takes full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region

Russia takes full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region

8h | TBS World
One Year of the July Mass Uprising: One of Independent Bangladesh's Most Brutal Months.

One Year of the July Mass Uprising: One of Independent Bangladesh's Most Brutal Months.

8h | TBS Stories
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net