Mass vaccination for Rio's Paquetá Island residents

Rio de Janeiro health authorities began vaccinating residents over the age of 18 on Paquetá Island as part of a mass vaccination program between the city's Health Secretary and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).

The program aims to fully vaccinate all 3,530 of the island's adults who are 18 or older with two doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine by September.

For 12 months, Paquetá's population will be monitored by Fiocruz.

The foundation had already collected samples from 70% of the island's population, using blood tests and COVID-19 tests over the weekend.

"Its 500,000 deaths in Brazil today, and we all are sorry about that. Its a time of profound sadness, of intense grief for most of Brazilian families, but also a time for us to have hope and try to build a new future," said Rio de Janeiro's Health Secretary Daniel Soranz.

According to Soranz, the mass vaccination program will help understand how the collective immunisation helps non-vaccinated people, like children and teenagers.

The research will also evaluate how effective the first dose is compared to a full immunisation.

The first Paquetá resident to be vaccinated was writer Conceição Campos.

Paquetá Island, located in the north of Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay, has a population of about 4,180 people.

The small patch of land does not allow private cars and attracts local and outside tourists, famous for its bucolic and relaxing atmosphere, with colourful houses, parks and beaches.

With bicycles and tricycles strolling around the island, Paquetá is also known for its street carnival parades that have not been allowed since the start of the pandemic.