Covaxgate

The Case Covaxin,[1] also known as Covaxgate,[2] refers to an investigation made by the Brazilian Federal Public Ministry (MPF), held on June 16, 2021,[3] which found evidence of irregularities in the purchase of 20 million doses by the Ministry of Health of the Indian vaccine Covaxin, with the value of the vaccines 1000% higher than initially foreseen.[4]

Covaxgate
Ampoule of Covaxin
Native name Caso Covaxin
DateJune 16, 2021 (2021-06-16)
Time(UTC−3)
Duration1 year, 4 months and 8 days
LocationBrazil
Also known asCovaxgate
TypeAlleged overbilling of 20 million doses of Covaxin vaccine by members of the Brazilian government

The Prosecutor General of the Republic has also asked to investigate whether President Jair Bolsonaro (independent) committed the crime of misfeasance, for allegedly failing to report to investigative bodies evidence of corruption in the negotiations to purchase the vaccine.[5]

Investigation

An investigation by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), conducted on June 16, 2021, found evidence of irregularities in the purchase of 20 million doses of the vaccine through the pharmaceutical company Precisa Medicamentos, with the value of the vaccines 1000% higher than the initial value shown initially by Bharat Biotech six months earlier.[6] On June 29, the contract for the purchase of the vaccine was suspended by the Ministry of Health after "controversies".[7]

Miranda brothers
Main article: COVID-19 CPI
Table of COVID-19 CPI on May 4, 2021

On Friday, June 25, 2021, Congressman Luis Miranda (DEM-DF) and his brother, Luis Ricardo Miranda, a civil servant at the Ministry of Health, were heard at the COVID-19 CPI.[8] The Miranda brothers said that the contract for the purchase of the Indian vaccine Covaxin was agenda. During testimony, Ricardo Miranda refuted Onyx Lorenzoni's accusations.[9] After suspecting corruption in the Covaxin purchase, the congressman and the civil servant claim that they would have met with President Bolsonaro.[10]

Brazilian Supreme Court

On July 2, 2021, the Prosecutor General of the Republic asked the Supreme Federal Court to open an inquiry to investigate Bolsonaro for the possible crime of misfeasance in the Covaxin vaccine overbilling case, in a development of the investigations carried out by the COVID-19 CPI.[11]

Search and seizure warrants

By determination of the STF minister Dias Toffoli and appreciated by the COVID-19 CPI, the Federal Police searched the headquarters of Precisa Medicamentos in São Paulo. The vaccine contract, already cancelled, is also investigated by the Federal Audit Court and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office.[12]

Covaxin
Main article: Covaxin

Covaxin (or BBV152) is a vaccine against COVID-19 produced in India by the Bharat Biotech laboratory.[13] In January 2021, Precisa Med signed a contract with Bharat Biotech to supply Covaxin in Brazil.[14]

It was one of the first to be used in the world for emergency vaccination and would be one of the vaccines applied by Brazil, where it would be produced in partnership with Precisa Medicamentos, and the Ministry of Health estimated to use it in February 2021.[15][16] On February 5, 2021, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) announced that it had received an application to study the vaccine in Brazil.[17]

On February 26 the Government of Brazil announced that it would buy 20 million doses of the Indian Covaxin vaccine.[18]

Sanitary risk

On March 30, 2021, Anvisa announced that it had denied the manufacturer the Good Manufacturing Practices Certificate due to "health risk to users," having found, after an inspection of Bharat in India, "non-conformities, being three critical, 12 major and 14 minor, which together denote a significant risk to manufacturing and quality assurance of the product."[19][20]

Approval

The vaccine was approved for emergency use at the end of February 2021.[21]

COVID-19: emergency release (January 2021)
Vacinal candidate

(developer/financier)

Current situation Effectiveness Country of origin Technology Testing phase; number of participants Adverse effects References and notes
Covaxin or BBV152

(Bharat Biotech)

 Released for emergency use[22] 81% India Inactivated virus Phase 3 closed; 25,800 participants Common: pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue and fever [23][24][25]

Note 1: the vaccine was released in India before data from phase 2 trials

Note 2: in Brazil it would be produced in partnership with Precisa Medicamentos

See also

References
  1. "Caso Covaxin: Senadora aponta falsificação em documento usado pelo governo Bolsonaro" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  2. "Randolfe promete novos documentos para provar a corrupção do Covaxgate" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  3. Caroline Oliveira (2021-06-29). "Caso Covaxin: o que se sabe até agora?" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  4. Rachel Vargas; Gustavo Uribe (2021-06-22). "Documentos apontam que governo comprou vacina indiana por valor 1000% maior". Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  5. "PGR pede investigação sobre prevaricação de Bolsonaro na compra da Covaxin" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  6. Globo, Agência O. (2021-06-24). "Entenda a cronologia da compra superfaturada da Covaxin pelo Governo Bolsonaro". iG (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  7. "Ministério da Saúde suspende contrato de compra da vacina Covaxin". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  8. "Em 4 pontos, entenda o caso da Covaxin e dos irmãos Miranda". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  9. "Miranda: informações contradizem "governo sem corrupção"". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  10. Povo, Correio do. "Irmãos Miranda relatam à CPI pressão e suspeitas de corrupção na compra da Covaxin". Correio do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  11. "PGR pede abertura de inquérito para investigar Bolsonaro por prevaricação no caso Covaxin". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  12. "PF faz operação em sede da Precisa Medicamentos em SP, empresa que entrou na mira da CPI da COVID". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  13. "Bharat Biotech (COVAXIN)". precisamedicamentos (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  14. "Bharat Biotech inks pact with Precisa Med to supply Covaxin to Brazil". mint. 2021-01-12.
  15. "Ministério da Saúde negocia na próxima sexta-feira (5) aquisição de 30 milhões de doses das vacinas Sputinik V e Covaxin". Ministério da Saúde (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  16. "Laboratório anuncia testes da Covaxin no Brasil em parceria com Einstein". www.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  17. "Anvisa recebe pedido de estudo da vacina Covaxin no Brasil". Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  18. "Covid-19: no Brasil, governo assina contrato para compra de 20 milhões de doses da vacina indiana Covaxin – Wikinotícias". pt.wikinews.org (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  19. "Anvisa publica decisões sobre pedidos de CBPF". Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária – Anvisa (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  20. "Anvisa nega certificação de boas práticas a empresa fabricante da Covaxin, vacina da Índia para Covid-19". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  21. Ritchie, Hannah; Mathieu, Edouard; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Hasell, Joe; MacDonald, Bobbie; Beltekian, Diana; Roser, Max (5 March 2020). "Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations – Statistics and Research". Our World in Data. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  22. "Alvo da rede privada no Brasil, vacina indiana Covaxin gera críticas por aprovação apressada". BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  23. "Vacina desenvolvida na Índia gera resposta imunológica, diz estudo". www.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  24. Ella, Raches; Vadrevu, Krishna Mohan; Jogdand, Harsh; Prasad, Sai; Reddy, Siddharth; Sarangi, Vamshi; Ganneru, Brunda; Sapkal, Gajanan; Yadav, Pragya (2021-01-21). "Safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, BBV152: a double-blind, randomised, phase 1 trial". The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 21 (5): 637–646. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30942-7. ISSN 1473-3099. PMC 7825810. PMID 33485468.
  25. "Vacina Covaxin apresenta eficácia de 81%, diz laboratório indiano". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
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