Brazil Ministry of Health launches meningitis vaccine monitoring panel

The Brazilian Ministry of Health has developed the Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine Panel, a new tool designed to monitor and evaluate vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 11 to 14 across the country.

Developed through a partnership between the Department of Monitoring, Evaluation and Dissemination of Strategic Health Information and the Department of Immunization and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, the tool aims to identify regions with low coverage. This data will support strategic planning and decision-making to strengthen protection against bacterial meningococcal disease.

The ACWY vaccine protects against four serogroups of the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. These infections can progress rapidly, leading to severe complications, permanent sequelae, or death. The new panel utilizes a methodology that tracks cohorts by birth year, integrating valid dose records from national health information systems to ensure more precise monitoring.