Brazilian police raid former President Jair Bolsonaro's home in COVID-19 vaccination investigation

Brazilian police on Wednesday raided former President Jair Bolsonaro's home and seized his cellphone as part of an investigation into his COVID-19 vaccination records.

Police said the database had been altered to change the vaccination status of several unnamed individuals. Mr Bolsonaro's close aid, Mauro Cid, has been arrested as part of the raid.

Federal police said false data had been ed into the Covid-19 vaccination records held by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. According to police, this was done so that the individuals



whose vaccination status had been changed would be able to get the vaccination certificates necessary to enter the United States at the time.

Mr Bolsonaro is a vocal opponent of Covid vaccinations, who repeatedly spread false information about the vaccine and its alleged side effects. During one social media livestream in 2021, he wrongly claimed that Covid-19 vaccines increased the chance of developing Aids.

In October 2021, he said he would not get vaccinated against Covid.