From doctors weary of seeing patients die to relatives who lost their loved ones, thousands of Brazilians, like nurse Jane Cristina Dias Alves, have volunteered for COVID vaccine trials in one of the world's worst-affected countries in the hope their quiet heroism will save lives.
Latin America's largest country has become a major testing ground for vaccines because of the scale of its outbreak, which has seen more than 7.3 million people infected and over 180,000 killed by the coronavirus.
Left: Keller de Martini, 55, a dental surgeon, said: "I think when we look to this period, one legacy will be how everyone – the scientists, the health workers, everyone – fought to stop the loss of lives to COVID. It will be a very important moment to remember." Right: Sergio Aparecido Cleto, 46, a nurse, said: "I decided to take part in the trial because of my sense of commitment. This is about being able to help to find a cure for this disease which scares us so much."
In addition to the AstraZeneca vaccine, Brazil has also hosted trials for Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech, and China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
While President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been widely condemned for his handling of the pandemic, has pledged not to take any coronavirus vaccine even if its approved by Brazil's health authorities, many volunteers are convinced inoculations are the only way to end the crisis.
Left: Arianna Cavalcante, 28, a dental surgeon, said: "I decided to take part in the trials because there was a light at the end of the tunnel for this new disease that scares all of us … I lose patients every day. It's desperate. It's terrifying." Right: Luiz Augusto Menegazzo, 65, a doctor, said: "I think we will remember this moment as a great moment of learning. A chance for humanity to learn, to be more humane, to live better, and for the government to take a closer look at its people."
More broadly, he has sought to curtail lockdown measures and minimized the severity of the virus, actions that critics say have increased its spread and the death toll among Brazil's 210 million people.
Amid the severe economic impact and a faltering political response, some volunteers said the opportunity to participate in the trials gave them a sense of regaining control of their own destiny.
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Some shrugged off what they said were mild side effects from the inoculation.
"The first days after I took (the vaccine), I had a few symptoms – shivers and pain in my body," said Antonia Santos, a nurse who participated in the AstraZeneca trial. "My daughter was desperate. She said 'Mom, you are crazy.' I said, 'No, crazy would be not to take it.'"
PHOTO EDITING MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI; TEXT EDITING Dan Flynn and Lisa Shumaker; LAYOUT JULIA DALRYMPLE.