Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro shocked even his most loyal supporters this week with a vicious rant against the COVID-19 vaccine, despite 7.1 million cases of the virus in the country and more than 185,000 deaths.
‘I’m not going to get it [the vaccine]. Some say I am setting a bad example. Hey a-hole, oh idiot what do you say about the bad example, I already had the virus, I already have antibodies. Why should I get the vaccine again? Bolsonaro said in a speech by the UOL news service to a crowd in Porto Seguro. Bolsonaro contracted COVID-19 earlier this year.
Brazil has recorded two cases of reinfection, and scientists are unsure how long antibodies last, the news site said.
Bolsonaro then hit the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its vaccine. The company released itself from liability in the event of any side effects from the vaccine – which Bolsonaro said rhetorically could turn someone into an alligator and would not be liable.
“And one more thing that needs to be made very clear,” Bolsonaro charged. “There in the Pfizer contract it is very clear that we (Pfizer) are not responsible for any side effects. If you become an alligator, that’s your problem. … and what’s worse, messing with people’s immune systems. “