A survey on the use of vaccines in Brazil shows that the waste of vaccines during the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva increased by 22% compared to that recorded in the previous administration. Data obtained by the newspaper The Globe via the Access to Information Law (LAI) released this Wednesday (13) show that, since the beginning of the current mandate, 58.7 million doses have been discarded due to expiration, adding up to a loss of R$1.75 billion – the highest since 2008.
To the newspaper, the Ministry of Health attributed part of the losses to stocks of vaccines against Covid-19 inherited from the previous administration, which were already close to their expiration date. According to the ministry, misinformation campaigns and the population’s lack of adherence also contributed to waste, making it difficult to administer doses before their expiration date.
In 2023, 39.8 million doses were discarded, which represented a loss of R$1.17 billion. In 2024, until November, another 18.8 million doses expired, generating an additional loss of R$560.6 million.
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To avoid further waste, the Ministry of Health reported having adopted logistical changes, such as the delivery of vaccines in installments and the possibility of exchanging them for newer versions approved by Anvisa.
Experts consulted by the report The Globe note that the problem is not restricted to Covid-19. Doses of vaccines such as DTP (against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), yellow fever and meningococcal were discarded, despite increases in vaccination coverage. Between 2022 and 2024, vaccination against DTP rose from 64.4% to 87.5%, while yellow fever vaccination rose from 60.6% to 75.4%.
To the newspaper, former Health Minister José Gomes Temporão, who headed the department from 2007 to 2010, suggested that the reduction in demand for vaccines in recent years could be a consequence of the success of the National Immunization Program (PNI). For him, the disappearance of several diseases over the last decade may have reduced the search for vaccines.
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