Brazil signs deal with India's Bharat Biotech for 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses
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The health ministry in a statement said the 1.6 billion reais ($290,000) contract will assure the country 20 million shots, with the first eight million expected to arrive in March
Brazil's health ministry on Thursday signed a deal with India's Bharat Biotech to purchase 20 million doses of Covaxin, a coronavirus vaccine.
The news came a day before Brazil marks one year since the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the country after a Sao Paulo businessman returning from a trip to Italy tested positive.
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The health ministry in a statement said the 1.6 billion reais ($290,000) contract will assure the country 20 million shots, with the first eight million expected to arrive in March.
The next batch of another eight million will likely reach Brazil in April and May.
The deal comes as Brazil on Thursday crossed the grim milestone of 250,000 deaths due to novel coronavirus with 1,541 fatalities in the last 24 hours, the second-highest daily death toll.
This has been the deadliest week so far in the country with a daily average of 1,149 deaths over the last seven days, according to the official data.
So far, Brazil has vaccinated less than four cent of its population of 210 people and certain cities have also stopped immunisation campaigns due to the unavailability of vaccine supplies.
The South American country has seen 10,390,461 Covid-19 infections, the third-highest globally after the United States and India.