Brazil's Ministry of Health Increases Mpox Vaccine Procurement to 25,000 Doses

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 8, Brazil's Ministry of Health announced that it would increase its mpox vaccine procurement from the previously planned 20,000 doses to 25,000 doses, adding 5,000 doses. The procurement was completed through negotiations with a Danish vaccine manufacturer via the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Revolving Fund. The additional doses are expected to be delivered to Brazil within three weeks after the announcement and will be incorporated into the national strategic vaccine stockpile to supplement vaccination needs in the states and the Federal District.

The increase in procurement volume resulted from further negotiations between Brazil's Ministry of Health and the Danish manufacturer. Due to limited global supply of mpox vaccines, the relevant vaccines are currently supplied by a single Danish manufacturer that has obtained WHO prequalification, and production capacity is constrained. Brazil had previously approved the procurement of up to 20,000 doses through PAHO on November 5, and subsequently secured an additional 5,000 doses, bringing the final procurement scale to 25,000 doses.

As of November 8, Brazil's Ministry of Health had distributed 3,650 doses of mpox vaccine to 9 federal units, including Rio de Janeiro, Ceará and other areas, as well as the Federal District. The newly procured doses will replenish the central stockpile and be allocated upon request by local authorities based on actual inventory and vaccination needs.

Vaccine supply is also constrained by storage and transportation requirements. According to the management requirements published by Brazil's Ministry of Health, the relevant vaccines must be stored frozen at minus 20 degrees Celsius and must be administered within 4 weeks after thawing. To improve the efficiency of limited vaccine supplies, the Ministry of Health has also issued technical guidance documents permitting intradermal administration for eligible recipients. This method can, in specific populations, increase the number of people covered by the same quantity of vaccine by up to 5 times.

Brazil has not carried out mass mpox vaccination for the entire population, but instead prioritizes groups at higher risk of severe complications after infection, including certain immunocompromised people living with HIV, some individuals using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis medication, laboratory personnel handling mpox virus samples, and individuals assessed by health authorities as having a history of medium- to high-risk exposure. The standard vaccination regimen consists of two doses, with a 28-day interval between doses.