Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Brazilian President: Covid-19 Vaccine Turns People into Crocodiles


Sat 19 Dec 2020 | 02:08 PM
Nawal Sayed

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro slammed coronavirus vaccines, claiming that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination could turn people into crocodiles or bearded ladies.

The far-right leader has been skeptical of the coronavirus since it first emerged late last year, branding it "little flu."

This week, he insisted he would not be vaccinated, even while launching the country's mass inoculation program, according to media reports.

"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 Friday.

"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," he said.

Bolsonaro also said the vaccine would be free but not compulsory.

However, the Supreme Court ruled that the vaccine was obligatory, although could not be "forced" on people.

That means authorities can fine people for not being vaccinated and ban them from certain public spaces, but not force them to take it.

Brazil has recorded more than 7.1 million cases and almost 185,000 deaths from COVID-19 amongst its 212 million population.

Bolsonaro caught the virus in July but recovered within three weeks.