RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's federal health regulator Anvisa said on Sunday it had received a new torrent of threats and called for greater police protection as it faces pressure from President Jair Bolsonaro over his decision to approve COVID-19 vaccines for children. More smalls.
For months, Anvisa has been at the center of a political storm in Brazil due to its role in approving COVID-19 shots. Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, has said he is not vaccinated and has cast doubt on the dangers of the virus and the value of getting vaccinated.
Anvisa's five directors, all appointed by Bolsonaro, began receiving threats in October, but increased this week after the regulator approved vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11.
In the wake of that decision, Bolsonaro said Thursday that he had asked for the names of the officials involved and threatened to make their identities public, prompting a public reprimand from Anvisa.
On Sunday, the regulator said the number of threats had increased in the past 24 hours and was giving details of them to law enforcement. It also said it would seek police protection for its officials, many of whom were spread across Brazil.
"Anvisa is firm in its mission to protect the health of citizens," he said.
Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 600,000 lives in Brazil, is widely cited as one of the reasons for his decline in popularity this year. Polls suggest he faces an uphill battle by winning next year's presidential election.
