ONLY ON AP Sao Paulo governor slams vaccine drive

Sao Paulo state Governor Joao Doria on Thursday criticized federal authorities and President Jair Bolsonaro, for what he said was a bungled start to Brazil's COVID-19 mass immunization program.

Brazil has given the first dose of vaccine to almost 4 million people so far but still does not have enough supplies on hand to inoculate the rest of the country.

Doria acknowledged the supply situation is improving and expects most Brazilians to receive a vaccine by the end of 2021.

The governor announced he had directed the Butantan Institute to buy 20 million doses of CoronaVac, the shot developed by the Chinese company Sinovac, by the beginning of October, in addition to the 100 million doses which will be produced by the institute in the coming months.

He also urged teachers to return to the classroom, after unions called for a strike at the start of classes in public schools this week, alleging schools do not meet safety conditions for millions of children's return.

Doria argued a lack of education impacts families, and mothers with kids, saying that schools are safe for in-class instruction, in spite of the complaints of teachers and parents.

Sao Paulo state has registered almost 1.88 million cases of COVID-19, with over 55,419 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University tracking numbers, making it the hardest-hit state in Brazil.