Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro asked for the names of health officials who approved Covid vaccines for children, saying he planned to make their identities public despite previous death threats.
In late October, Brazil s health regulator Anvisa said five of its directors had received death threats over the possible approval of vaccines for children aged between five and 11 years old. The approval for the Pfizer shot was granted by the agency on Thursday.
Anvisa reported the emailed threats to police and prosecutors.
Bolsonaro said he did not interfere in Anvisa's internal affairs, but he had asked for the officials names so that the public could come to its own judgments. The president has always questioned the efficacy and safety of coronaviruses, and has sharply criticised all forms of social distancing. His handling of the pandemic, which claimed more than 618,000 lives in Brazil, is widely cited as a reason his popularity has plummeted this year.
The most recent polls have the rightwing former army captain's approval rating in the low 20 s.