COVID-19 vaccine could turn people into ‘crocodiles’ says Brazil’s President Bolsonaro

The far-right leader, at the beginning of the pandemic, had dismissed COVID-19 by calling ti a ‘little flu’. Bolsonaro has not been consistent about messaging around mask-wearing either. In July, Bolsonaro used his veto power to remove articles that made it obligatory to wear masks in shops and churches. This week, even as the country’s inoculation program was being launched, the leader announced that he would not get vaccinated.

"In the Pfizer contract, it's very clear: 'we're not responsible for any side effects.' If you turn into a crocodile, it's your problem," Bolsonaro said on Thursday.

The vaccine, which is being used in the US and UK, has been undergoing tests in Brazil for weeks. "If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they will not have anything to do with it," Bolsonaro added. The far-right leader also said the vaccine would be free but not compulsory. He said that once a vaccine has been certified by Brazil's regulatory agency Anvisa, “it will be available for everyone that wants it. But me, I won’t get vaccinated,” an AFP report reads.

Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19 in July but recovered in three weeks. Brazil, which has reported 185,000 deaths due to COVID-19 so far, is second after the US in its death toll. The country currently is in the middle of a second wave of coronavirus infections.