Deputies use Chamber plenary to spread false information about the pandemic

In 2021, the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies was the scene of at least 45 speeches that disseminated unscientific information about the pandemic, according to a survey by Lupa. In all, 13 parliamentarians used the space to encourage the use of the so-called “early treatment”, with no effect against Covid-19, or to question the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

The most cited item, the defense of the kit composed of hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and other substances, appeared in 34 speeches. Already false accusations that vaccines would be unsafe or ineffective happened in 17 moments.

The efficiency of the use of face masks in the fight against the pandemic was also questioned in the speech of two parliamentarians. In some speeches, deputies dealt with more than one topic at the same time.

The survey was carried out from the search for keywords in the House of Representatives’ speech bank and refers to the speeches of deputies transmitted in the plenary of the house, carried out in person or remotely, in the year 2021.

Of the 45 statements identified, 23 are by deputy Giovani Cherini (PL-RS). Throughout the year, Cherini declared that the “Covid kit” would lead to an alleged survival rate close to 100%, assured that hospitals would be empty if the population had adopted the treatment and suggested that critics of the drugs were part of a conspiracy. to cause as many deaths as possible in order to obtain political and economic advantages.

At the same time, the unscientific speeches translated into engagement for Cherini’s social networks. In March 2021, the month in which he delivered 16 speeches extolling the alleged results of “early treatment”, the congressman had the highest audience peak of the year on his Facebook account.

The video of one of these speeches was the second most watched in the month, reaching 27 thousand views on the platform. In his speech, the deputy criticized what he called the “denialism of those who deny early treatment”.

“Whoever preaches that the solution is to stay at home, whoever only preaches that the solution is to wear a mask, whoever only preaches that the solution is to take the vaccine is committing genocide in Brazil. Why not treat it with ivermectin? with hydroxychloroquine, with zinc, with all the medicines?”, questioned Cherini on March 2.

On April 27, Congressman Bibo Nunes (PSL-RS) even estimated, without explaining his calculation, that “early treatment” could have prevented the death of 60,000 people in São Paulo. “There is nothing of side effect. The ideal is to use ivermectin from the first to the third day in which the symptoms are felt. The effectiveness of its use in the treatment reaches up to 90%”, indicated the parliamentarian.

Faced with the lack of scientific evidence to prove its effectiveness, “early treatment” has been widely criticized by experts since 2020, despite President Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) campaign for the use of the drugs.

Studies completed that year pointed to the absence of benefits from the medication kit against Covid-19. In early 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reinforced the chorus for not using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to combat the disease.

Deputies Alê Silva (PSL-MG), Aline Sleutjes (PSL-PR), Coronel Chrisóstomo (PSL-RO), Dr. Luiz Ovando (PSL-MS), General Girão (PSL-RN) also encouraged the use of early treatment. , Otoni de Paula (PSC-RJ), Reinhold Stephanes Junior (PSD-PR) and Vitor Hugo (PSL-GO).

‘Experimental bite’

In application in Brazil since January 2021, the vaccine against Covid-19 was called “experimental” in 12 speeches in the plenary. The term suggests that its safety and effectiveness are still being tested, which is untrue.

Clinical trials of all immunizers analyzed by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) had already been completed at the time of their emergency approval, demonstrating that they are safe and provide protection against the virus.

The agency itself has already denied that the vaccines in use in the country are experimental. Two of them, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, were definitively registered in the country and can be marketed and distributed like any other drug.

However, on November 9, deputy Otoni de Paula (PSC-RJ), when speaking against the imposition of a health passport, claimed that the population cannot be forced to take a vaccine “whose side effects are unknown”.

“Where is the phrase on the left ‘my body, my rules’? Does it only serve to kill a child in the mother’s womb? […] Being against the health passport is giving the right to the citizen who does not want to feel like a guinea pig for an experimental vaccine”, he said.

At the time of the speech, the number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 was in sharp decline – associated, according to experts, with the application of more than 288 million doses of immunizations in the country.

On October 7, deputy Giovani Cherini returned to the microphone of the Chamber’s plenary to make attacks on the vaccination of children and adolescents.

The deputy said that there is a “dictatorship” on social networks that supposedly prohibits any criticism of immunizations, which is why he decided to use the term “experimental bite” in his speech: “I would like a congressman to come to this rostrum to say what the research is what was done about this bite in young people and children. There is an important detail. Which manufacturer or government or doctor or scientist guarantees that this bite does not generate health problems for the population, especially for young people?”

The immunization of children aged 5 to 11 years with the Pfizer vaccine was approved in December by Anvisa based on clinical studies that confirmed the safety and efficacy of vaccinating this population.

The same occurred in January with Coronavac, which was approved for use in the 6-17 age group. Childhood vaccination is advocated by scientists and the Brazilian Immunization (SBIm), Pediatrics (SBP) and Infectious Diseases (SBI) societies.

Pfizer’s own vaccine package insert cites among possible adverse effects “very rare” cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, inflammation related to the heart, which have been reported especially among younger men, after the second dose and within 14 days of application. However, the document points out that they are usually mild cases and that individuals tend to recover in a short period of time.

For specialists, the experience with the application of vaccines in the population for decades removes the probability of the appearance of supposed long-term side effects, constantly trumpeted by anti-vaccine groups.

“It is very unlikely from the point of view of biological plausibility. In general, adverse effects occur in the weeks following administration. What matters in this case is the risk-benefit comparison. And in the case of the Covid vaccine, this comparison is clearly leaning towards the benefit side, and not towards the risk side”, explained Ana Paula Herrmann, professor at the Department of Pharmacology at UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul) in another check published by Lupa.

Deputies Carlos Jordy (PSL-RJ), Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL-SP) and Soraya Manato (PSL-ES) also raised questions about the effectiveness of vaccines. The masks were the target of the speeches of Bibo Nunes (PSL-RS) and Giovani Cherini (PL-RS).

Lupa contacted all the deputies mentioned by email, but did not receive a response until the publication of this report.