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Vaccine Passes and Travel: France (Carmen Negrin, -France, 08/01/21 4:23 am)You do need a vaccination pass to get on a plane and to go to certain places. For instance, I have used it to go to Spain and to the South of France, also to enter museums and to go to concerts. Given the circumstances, I find it totally normal and reassuring and it doesn't prevent me from wearing a mask in a shop or a crowded space.
I don't know much about the Russian Sputnik vaccine, but I know about the Chinese vaccine, given left and right in Chile. This didn't prevent the Chileans from having a high second wave in Covid cases, after their last summer, simply because people felt free to travel to Miami and Brazil in particular, with no other precautions and weren't properly covered.
JE comments: My Chilean host brother Guillermo is the closest call of all my loved ones in the Covid pandemic: he nearly died earlier this summer (winter for them). Happily he is home and fully recovered. I never thought to ask him if he had the Chinese vaccine, or none at all.
Everyone's biggest fear: a new surge with the Delta (D for "dreaded") variant. Would/will this be the fourth wave?
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Brazil Accepts Chinese Help with Covid Vaccines
(Tor Guimaraes, USA
08/03/21 5:15 AM)
Carmen Negrín (August 1st) mentioned Brazil in her post about Covid vaccine administration. In Brazil, after a disgusting start managing the pandemic in a similar denial fashion as the Trump administration, Mr. Bolsonaro finally accepted Chinese help with widespread vaccination.
The city of Serrana, close to my original home town, is now advanced as an example of success for the Chinese vaccine Sinovac, because the whole town was vaccinated and it stopped the virus dead in its tracks in terms of need for hospitalization and deaths. Given the strong possibility of virus mutations, it is hard to guess what will happen next, but after Pfizer's attempts to gouge developing countries, China is coming out as a better choice.
The top Russian vaccine, Sputnik (seems like a better name for a psychedelic drug) started the race ahead but seems to be in the doldrums in terms of worldwide implementation. Supposedly many people have seen no strong evidence for adoption in contrast with the increasing number of alternatives.
JE comments: Tor, when time permits, could you send us some forecasts for the next round of presidential elections, slated for October 2022? Any chance Bolsonaro could be re-elected? Or will Lula return to power?
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Will Lula Return to Power in 2022?
(Tor Guimaraes, USA
08/05/21 4:17 AM)
John Eipper asked me, "Could you send us some forecasts for Brazil's next round of presidential elections, slated for October 2022? Any chance Bolsonaro could be re-elected? Or will Lula return to power?"
Unfortunately in this case, my crystal ball is too cloudy for strong opinions. The evidence from Brazil indicates a situation eerily similar to the last election in the US. In the eyes of most Brazilians Bolsonaro seems to be as crazy and incompetent as Trump. He also has a significant percentage of diehard supporters who could easily "rationalize" any outrageous act. Bolsonaro also seems to have significant support within the military.
Lula must know something I don't know, because he is playing like he expects to be able to run again in 2022. Assuming he is able to run freely, he would probably win despite his old warts.
Thus, with so many ifs, my crystal ball is presently very murky for Brazil.
JE comments: I respect your caution, Tor. Brazilian politics is a full-contact sport. Forecasting the outcomes is probably a fool's game. Wasn't Bolsonaro himself a political unknown when he burst on the scene? For Lula's part, his conviction was overturned earlier this summer (how did that happen?), which allows him to return to the political circus.
Our colleague in Brasilia, David Fleischer, closely follows Brazilian politics. David, can you weigh in?
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Will Lula Return to Power in 2022?
(Tor Guimaraes, USA
08/05/21 4:17 AM)