Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has not hidden his skepticism towards the coronavirus and its treatment and in his latest statement said that he will not take a coronavirus vaccine.
In statements broadcast live over multiple social media platforms on November 26, the right-wing leader added that Congress was unlikely to require Brazilians to take a vaccine, news agency Reuters reported.
"I'm telling you, I'm not going to take it. It's my right," news agency Reuters quoted Bolsonaro as saying.
Bolsonaro was infected with the virus in July after downplaying it for months like his American counterpart, Donald Trump. Brazil has recorded the second-highest death rate in the world due to COVID-19.
According to the report, Bolsonaro also expressed skepticism over the effectiveness of mask-wearing in the broadcast, implying there was little conclusive evidence of the effectiveness of masks in preventing the virus from spreading, counter to what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been saying.
The Brazilian president has repeatedly said Brazilians will not be required to be vaccinated when a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available. In October, he joked on Twitter that vaccination would be required only for his dog.
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