<p>Brazil's Health Ministry on Thursday signed a contract to purchase 20 million doses of Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccine made by India's Bharat Biotech, for delivery between March and May.</p>.<p>The ministry said in a statement that the deal is worth 1.6 billion reais ($290,000), with the first 8 million doses expected to arrive in March.</p>.<p>To speed up the buying of vaccines in Brazil and deal with the second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak in the world, the ministry said it published new rules last week dispensing with the bidding process.</p>.<p>Brazil reported 1,541 new Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, the second-highest daily death toll since the pandemic began, taking total fatalities to 251,498.</p>.<p>With 65,998 new cases, the South American country has now registered 10,390,461 cases, the world's third worst outbreak behind the United States and India.</p>
<p>Brazil's Health Ministry on Thursday signed a contract to purchase 20 million doses of Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccine made by India's Bharat Biotech, for delivery between March and May.</p>.<p>The ministry said in a statement that the deal is worth 1.6 billion reais ($290,000), with the first 8 million doses expected to arrive in March.</p>.<p>To speed up the buying of vaccines in Brazil and deal with the second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak in the world, the ministry said it published new rules last week dispensing with the bidding process.</p>.<p>Brazil reported 1,541 new Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, the second-highest daily death toll since the pandemic began, taking total fatalities to 251,498.</p>.<p>With 65,998 new cases, the South American country has now registered 10,390,461 cases, the world's third worst outbreak behind the United States and India.</p>