Brazilian Senate approves herpes-zoster vaccine for SUS

The Senate Social Affairs Commission (CAS) has unanimously approved a bill to include the herpes-zoster vaccine in Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) national immunization schedule. Under Project of Law (PL) 4.426/2025, the vaccine would be provided to individuals over 50 years old and those under 18 with compromised immune systems.

Senator Damares Alves, the rapporteur of the proposal, noted that the social impact of the disease is expected to rise due to an aging population. The text, which incorporates a substitute version previously approved by the Human Rights Commission, still requires confirmation in a supplementary session within the commission.

Herpes-zoster is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, which can remain dormant and reactivate in adults or immunocompromised individuals, causing skin lesions, fever, and intense nerve pain.