"Sub-Humanities of the 'Savage' and COVID-19 Pandemic Data: A Critical Perspective"

Abstract (English)

This study critically examines the documentation processes of vaccinated Brazilian citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on how these practices intersect with ethnic-racial identity within the framework of public health. Using ethnographic methods, fieldwork was conducted at a vaccination site located in the Museum of the Republic in Rio de Janeiro—a site of historical significance that once housed the republican government and was the epicenter of the early 20th-century "Vaccine Rebellion." By analyzing contemporary vaccination efforts within this symbolic space, the research explores the resurgence of historical narratives, public memory, and sociopolitical tensions during Brazil's COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The findings suggest both continuities and ruptures in public perceptions of state-led health interventions, particularly among racialized populations. Reflecting on the past uprisings against the smallpox vaccine within this building, now a museum, the study raises the question: could a similar reaction arise during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign? This work also addresses issues related to "humanity" and "animality," concepts imposed upon vaccinated individuals, especially those of Indigenous ancestry. It seeks to explore how the COVID-19 vaccination process has impacted people with Indigenous roots in Brazil and how they perceived and responded to the vaccination campaigns. These are central concerns that this study aims to address.