The Court of Accounts has demanded the Presidency of the Republic to send, within 15 days, the plan of action to license the production or the acquisition of immunization against Covid-19 to vaccinate the Brazilian population. The plan must include the associated risks and countermeasures to mitigate them.

 “Assuming its non-existence, given the urgency and relevance of the topic, the Civil House must elaborate, together with the Ministry of Health, the referred plan within 60 days. Preferably with the participation of the state health secretariats”, explained Minister Vital do Rêgo, rapporteur of the process at the TCU.

 “In other words, we are talking about a minimum of 211 million doses of vaccine to be produced or purchased to vaccinate a population dispersed in a territorial area of continental dimensions, such as Brazil, in the shortest possible time. This demands an adequate and efficient logistical structure”, observed the Minister-Rapporteur.

The TCU has also recommended that, when selecting projects in the Pro-Brazil program, the one related to the reduction of contamination and deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic should be prioritized.

Currently, the priorities of Pro-Brasil include only generating direct and indirect jobs, creating rapid economic activation, and that is should be concluded or showing results by 2022. “It is noteworthy that there is no criterion aimed at reducing contamination or deaths caused by Covid-19, hence our recommendation in that regard,” explained the Minister-Rapporteur.

 “In this respect, we must highlight the fact that, out of the US $ 51.2 billion already spent until July 31 to deal with the effects of the pandemic, the government has allocated US $ 3.9 billion for actions to combat the disease, which is less than 8% of the total”, said the TCU Minister Vital do Rêgo.

 “It is worth noting that, despite the fact that the total Brazilian expenditure to face Covid-19 reaches the percentage of 3.9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), slightly above the world average of 3.7%, it is still far below the countries that spent the most, such as Japan, with 21%, Luxembourg, with 20%, Iran and the United States, both with 13%, and Sweden, with 12% ”, detailed the minister-rapporteur.

 “I have no doubt that the concern of maintaining an economic environment minimally prepared for the resumption of its growth in the post-pandemic scenario should guide the government actions. Especially because if this growth is not guaranteed, other problems of equal severity may afflict the most vulnerable part of the Brazilian population, with unemployment, hunger and violence, for example ”added Minister Vital do Rêgo.

"On the other hand, the maintenance of physical integrity and the preservation of life cannot be seen only by its economic side, but as the primary right of every citizen and the basis for social development, which are constitutional guarantees to be respected by all", stressed the Minister-rapporteur of the TCU.