Brazil's Health Ministry authorizes purchase of up to 20,000 mpox vaccine doses

Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.

Brazil's Health Ministry has authorized the purchase of up to 20,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to bolster the stocks of the SUS (Unified Health System, the country's public health network), Folha de S.Paulo reported. The doses will be acquired through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

According to the ministry, the measure is preventive and aims to secure the vaccine in case the epidemiological situation changes. The newspaper asked the ministry for details on the manufacturer, cost and delivery schedule, but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

In 2026, the country has confirmed 665 cases of the disease, 94% fewer than in 2022, when more than 10,000 cases were recorded. Still, some states are seeing increases: in Rio de Janeiro, there were 211 cases through November 1, compared with 119 in all of last year, according to the state health department. No deaths were recorded in the periods analyzed.

In the public system, vaccination prioritizes people living with HIV/AIDS whose CD4 cell count is below 100 per cubic millimeter of blood, in a two-dose schedule 28 days apart. Remaining doses may go to people with HIV with CD4 counts below 200, users of PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) and laboratory workers who handle the virus.

The vaccine can also be given after close contact with an infected person, preferably within the first four days. The window can extend to 14 days, although with less ability to prevent infection. Mpox spreads mainly through direct contact with skin or mucosal lesions, and anyone with compatible symptoms should seek care.