Minister of Health suggests vermifuge against those who defend drug release

The Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, called this Wednesday (27) people who defend the release of drugs as “worms” and suggested a dewormer against them because “maybe kill these people”.

“Arnaldo [Correia de Medeiros, secretário do ministério] said that drug use is one of the most prevalent causes of hepatitis C. We are against drug use, although there are people who are defending it: drug liberation. For these worms, nitazoxanide. Maybe kill these people,” he said.

The statement took place during the launch of the national campaign to combat viral hepatitis, in Brasília.

Nitazoxanide is an antiparasitic also known by the trade name, Annita. The dewormer was part of the so-called Covid kit — a set of substances ineffective against the coronavirus (which is a virus, not a worm) and defended by the Bolsonaro government.

Two weeks ago, singer Anitta asked former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to legalize marijuana in a possible new government. The artist declared support for PT to defeat President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

During this Wednesday’s event, Queiroga also rebutted criticism for the ministry’s performance in the fight against monkeypox (monkeypox) and Covid-19 and, in a campaign tone, quoted excerpts from the Bible.

“You mean that three months ago we started to prepare for this monkeypox issue? And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free,” he said, noting that four public laboratories diagnose monkeypox.

This Tuesday (26), the technical leader for monkeypox at the WHO (World Health Organization), Rosamund Lewis, said at a press conference that “the situation in Brazil [para a doença] it’s worrying”.

Also on Tuesday (26), the president of Conass (National Council of Health Secretaries), Nésio Fernandes, said that the country’s response to the new disease is “protocol” and may be “insufficient” in the coming months.

Queiroga also refuted the criticism made of the high mortality rate of children by Covid-19 and the delay in childhood vaccination.

“‘Oh no, but the kids are all dying of Covid.’ In these last two years, Covid, as a pandemic, is the main cause of deaths. Deaths in children happened, above all, in the first wave and in the second wave. Then there was the omicron, which also had deaths. the deaths. ‘Ah, every two days a child dies.’ The deaths were concentrated in the waves and we are taking measures,” she said.

“Vaccinating children from 5 to 11 years old. ‘Oh, the minister delayed vaccinations from 5 to 11 years old because he held a public hearing.’ Imagine if there had been a secret hearing. Because it was public for everyone to see. They went there and reported me to the STF [Supremo Tribunal Federal]. Do you know what happened to the complaint? filed. Because it’s a scam.”

The Bolsonaro government discouraged parents from vaccinating their children and even held a public hearing on the subject even after Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years.

In two years, the deaths of children up to five years old by Covid-19 were more than triple those caused, in a decade, by 14 other diseases that can have mortality avoided by vaccination and other health actions.

The minister also stated that the ministry used the family of the character Zé Gotinha in vaccination campaigns because “the government defends families” and ended his speech with another reference to the Bible.

“‘Ah, the ministry has no campaign [de vacinação]’. With the vaccination campaign for Covid alone, R$ 175 million were spent. ‘Zé Gotinha is retired, they hid Zé Gotinha’. There’s a whole Zé Gotinha family. Grandpa Droplet, grandma, mommy, daddy. Even because this government defends families.”