Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) Amid a devastating resurgence of the coronavirus in parts of Brazil, federal health officials have finally voted to authorize two vaccines for emergency use. Minutes later, Monica Calazans, a Black nurse from downtown São Paulo, became the first Brazilian to be vaccinated. "You don't understand what this means to me," she told São Paulo state governor João Doria. While several of its neighbors have already approved vaccines for use, Brazil has seemed to lag despite its renowned public health and vaccination track record. It has a history in Sao Paulo state, where the local Butantan Institute conducted Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine.

Source: CNN January 18, 2021 00:11 UTC