Brasília – The Butantan Institute has requested authorization from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária – Anvisa) to import new batches of the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine with packaging and leaflets written in Spanish. The request comes amid temporary shortages of the vaccine in Brazil, which is part of the national immunization schedule under the National Immunization Program (Programa Nacional de Imunizações – PNI).

Anvisa approved the exceptional import on a temporary basis, citing the need to ensure vaccine availability for the public health system. The agency stated that the imported product fully complies with quality and safety requirements, and that the absence of immediate local supply would pose a greater risk to public health.

According to Butantan, the measure will help maintain distribution while local production and supply normalization are underway. The imported doses will be used exclusively in the PNI, and Anvisa has required that the packaging include a QR code linking to the official leaflet in Portuguese. The authorization is valid until the second half of 2025, when the vaccine must return to Portuguese-language labelling.

Source: O Globo

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