The photo of a native in the Amazon rainforest, carrying his father on his back to receive the vaccine against Kovid-19, in addition to being viral, has become a symbol of the complicated organizational problems of distributing the vaccine to remote parts of the world.
The photo was taken by a doctor - in it, 24-year-old Tavi is carrying 67-year-old Wahoo, after both received a dose of the vaccine.
To get to the point, they had to walk through the forest for hours.
According to official data, 853 indigenous people have died as a result of Covid-19 in Brazil.
- The tribes forget the conflicts because of the fight for the Amazon
- The president of Brazil faces serious charges due to the covid pandemic
- The Amazon eagle is threatened with extinction due to the destruction of the rainforest
But members of this community say that number is much higher. Research by a Brazilian NGO shows that only 1.000 indigenous people died between March 2020 and March 2021.
Tavi and Vahu are members of the Zoe community, which has around 325 members. They live in relative isolation, settled in villages scattered over an area equivalent to 1.2 million football pitches in the southern state of Pará.
Eric Jennings Simo, the doctor who photographed them, says that Wahu could barely see a finger in front of his eye and that he was walking with difficulty, due to Chroninina's urinary problems. His estimate is that Tavi carried his father on his back for five to six hours.
"It's a beautiful example of the wonderful relationship these two have," the doctor told BBC Brazil.
The photo was taken in January 2021 - at the beginning of vaccination in Brazil, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. But Dr. Simo shared the picture on January 1 this year on Instagram to "send a positive message at the beginning of the new year."
When vaccination against Covid-19 began in Brazil, indigenous peoples were not considered a risk group.
The health team caring for Zoe's community now faces a challenge: it would not be feasible for them to visit every village, as vaccinations would take weeks, due to how far the villages are from each other.
That is why they set up checkpoints in the forests, and the vaccination system was agreed with the communities through radio communication.
"We have adopted a practice that respects and takes into account the culture and knowledge of the Zoe people," says Dr. Simo.
Vahu passed away last September, due to reasons not yet known. Tavi stayed with his family and recently received his third dose of the vaccine.
Bonus video:
