Brazil court allows states to buy vaccines when federal govt fails to do so

A majority of Brazil's Supreme Court justices have voted for an injunction allowing local state and city authorities to bypass the federal government when it fails to secure COVID-19 vaccines so that they can buy and distribute their own supplies.

President Jair Bolsonaro's right-wing government is under pressure for its slow response in rolling out vaccines despite his country facing the world's second deadliest coronavirus outbreak. In a virtual session, the court also ruled that local governments can import vaccines when health regulator Anvisa fails to consider an application within 72 hours.