Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro bizarrely claims Covid vaccine could turn people into crocodiles and ‘bearded ladies’
BRAZIL's Jair Bolsonaro has claimed the Covid vaccine could turn people into "crocodiles" and give women "beards" in a bizarre rant.
The strongman president, who previously dismissed the disease as a “little flu”, also said the Pfizer jab could give men “effeminate voices.”
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This comes after Bolsonaro, who tested positive in July after ignoring social distancing guidelines, said he would not get the vaccine because he has “antibodies” dismissing his critics as “idiots.”
On Thursday, Bolsonaro slammed drug giant Pfizer for allegedly not taking responsibility for side effects for the vaccine which has went through three stages of clinical trials.
He said: "In the Pfizer contract, it's very clear. 'We're not responsible for any side effects.' If you turn into a crocodile, that's your problem.
"If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they [Pfizer] won't have anything to do with it.”
The rollout of the vaccine started on Wednesday in Brazil which has the world's second highest coronavirus death toll with 186,356 fatalities.
Speaking about his refusal to get vaccinated, the Brazilian President said: “Some people say I'm giving a bad example.
“But to the imbeciles, to the idiots that say this, I tell them I've already caught the virus, I have the antibodies, so why get vaccinated?"
Bolsonaro has repeatedly played down the pandemic despite more than seven million Brazilians being infected with the respiratory disease.
He took three weeks to recover from the virus and later said: "I knew I was going to catch it someday, as I think unfortunately nearly everyone here is going to catch it eventually.
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“What are you afraid of? Face up to it.”
Last week, the leader said Brazil was at the "tail end of the pandemic” yet the country is enduring a dramatic surge in cases.
On Wednesday, a record of more than 70,000 new daily cases was recorded and the following day over 1,000 people died from the coronavirus.
