Brazil's health regulator asks for protection as anti-vaccine threats mount

Brazil's federal health regulator Anvisa said on Sunday it had received a fresh torrent of threats and asked for greater law enforcement protection, as it faces pressure from President Jair Bolsonaro over its decision to approve COVID-19 vaccines for younger children.

For months, Anvisa has been at the center of a political storm in Brazil due to its role in approving COVID-19 shots. Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, has said he is not vaccinated, and has sowed doubts about the dangers of the virus and the value of getting immunized.

Anvisa's five directors, who were all appointed by Bolsonaro, began getting threats in October, but they increased this week after the regulator approved shots for children between the ages of 5 and 11.

In the wake of that decision, Bolsonaro said on Thursday that he'd asked for the names of the officials involved and threatened to make their identities public - prompting a public rebuke from Anvisa.

On Sunday, the regulator said the number of threats had risen in the last 24 hours, and it was giving details of them to law enforcement. It also said it would seek police protection for its officials, many of whom were spread across Brazil.

"Anvisa is firm in its mission to protect the health of citizens," it said.

Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, which has claimed over 600,000 lives in Brazil, is widely cited as a reason for his plummeting popularity this year. Polls suggest he faces an uphill battle winning next year's presidential election.