Ministry of Health claims lack of cost-effectiveness; incorporation would generate an impact of more than R$5.2 billion in 5 years
The Ministry of Health announced on Monday (12 January 2026) that Conitec (National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies into the Unified Health System) rejected the inclusion of the herpes zoster vaccine in the public health network. The decision was published in the Official Gazette of the Union after the Ministry of Health concluded that the immunizer is not cost-effective under the conditions evaluated.
The technical analysis considered the application of the adjuvanted recombinant vaccine in 2 specific groups: people aged 80 or over and immunocompromised patients aged 18 and over. This vaccine is currently the only one available in Brazil to prevent the disease popularly known as shingles. Read the report (PDF -283kB).
Studies carried out by Conitec, the body responsible for evaluating criteria such as effectiveness, safety and financial impact of new technologies, showed that the incorporation of the vaccine would generate a budgetary impact of more than R$5.2 billion over a period of 5 years. The report indicates that, although the Medicines Committee recognized the relevance of the vaccine in preventing herpes zoster, it also highlighted the need for new negotiations on the price, in order to guarantee a value compatible with the SUS budget.
The decision was made official through an ordinance and signed by the Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation in Health of the Ministry of Health. The document makes public the non-incorporation of the herpes zoster vaccine (recombinant adjuvant) within the scope of the SUS for the groups evaluated.
The ordinance affects the 2 groups that would be a priority to receive the vaccine if its inclusion was approved: elderly people aged 80 or over and people with compromised immune systems aged 18 and over.
Herpes zoster is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After recovery from the initial infection, the virus remains “asleep” in the body and can reappear decades later, especially with aging or in situations of reduced immunity.
According to information from the report released by Conitec, herpes zoster generally improves on its own, but in some cases it can cause serious complications, such as changes to the skin, nervous system, eyes and ears.
The disease most frequently affects elderly people and patients with compromised immune systems, and can cause a serious complication: post-herpetic neuralgia, characterized by intense chronic pain that can persist for months or even years.
