Brazilian supreme court rules against COVID anti-vaxxers

Brasilia: All Brazilians are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 under the penalty of being banned from certain public services and places, the country’s top court has decided.

Ten justices of the 11-member court backed the mandatory inoculation with only one vote against in a virtual session held on Thursday, Brasilia time. The ruling is a blow to President Jair Bolsonaro, who has said he will not be vaccinated and nobody should be forced to.

According to a government statement after the decision, those who fail to prove they have been vaccinated may have their rights, such as welfare payments, public school enrolment or entry to certain places, curtailed.

Mixed messages: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who has said he won’t take a COVID-19 vaccine, poses with the mascot of his nation’s vaccination campaign, named “Ze Gotinha” or Joe Droplet. Credit:Getty Images

The court underscored the decision did not mean Brazilians would be taken by force to receive shots that will be offered by the government through the public health network.