SAO PAULO -- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received here on Saturday his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"All the people want is to receive a vaccine to free themselves from this monster called coronavirus," Lula said in a video on social media after getting the shot.

According to him, he would receive his second vaccine dose "in 14 to 28 days."

Meanwhile, Lula asked the Brazilian government "to guarantee vaccines for all the Brazilian people."

Brazil registered 76,178 new cases of COVID-19 and 1,997 deaths in a day, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.