Vaccines in Brazil: a Historical Analysis of Sanitary Registration and Vaccine Availability in the National Health System

Abstract

Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of public social protection policies, health issues, including immunizations, have gained prominence. This paper aims to analyze the dynamics of vaccine registration in Brazil and the vaccines made available through the National Immunization Program (PNI), with emphasis on the 2004-2018 vaccination schedule. This descriptive, exploratory, documentary research analyzed processes of vaccine registration with the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) and the incorporation of vaccine products into the PNI. The study drew on information from the national sanitary registration database, made available by Anvisa, a document analysis of official/normative publications, and the published literature. The data do demonstrate the incorporation of vaccines into the PNI, evincing a country with industrial potential for vaccine production, but still focused on the transfer of technologies, and in need of public attention and investments in new technologies as a way to ensure the sector's independence.