Keeping vaccinations up to date is one of the most important ways to protect not only the person who gets the vaccine, but also babies, children, older adults and other more vulnerable members of the family.
In Brazil, the National Immunization Program (PNI) organizes the National Vaccination Schedule according to age, vaccination history and certain specific health conditions.
It's important to remember that there is no single schedule that works exactly the same way for everyone. Someone with overdue vaccines, for example, may receive different guidance from someone who started every dose at the recommended age.
That's why this guide is meant as a reference to help you understand the schedule. Your vaccination card should always be checked by a health professional.
> Updated according to the National Vaccination Schedule of Brazil's Ministry of Health in effect in 2026.
Vaccines during pregnancy: protection for the pregnant woman and the baby
During pregnancy, some vaccines directly protect the mother and also help pass antibodies on to the baby.
At your very first prenatal care appointment, it's a good idea to bring your vaccination card so the health team can check which doses you've already received and which need to be updated.
When you find out you're pregnant
Depending on your vaccination history, some vaccines may be recommended.
Hepatitis B
When: according to vaccination history.
Why it matters: helps prevent hepatitis B and D.
dT
When: according to vaccination history.
Why it matters: maintains protection against diphtheria and tetanus.
Influenza
When: 1 dose each vaccination season.
Why it matters: helps reduce the risk of flu and of complications during pregnancy.
COVID-19
When: 1 dose in each pregnancy.
Why it matters: helps reduce the risk of severe forms of the disease.
Brazil's Ministry of Health recommends influenza vaccination for pregnant women during the season and one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in each pregnancy.
From the 20th week: Tdap
The Tdap (dTpa) vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.
It should be given from the 20th week of pregnancy, in every pregnancy, even if the pregnant woman has received this vaccine before.
Besides protecting the mother, the antibodies she produces help protect the baby against whooping cough in the first months of life, a period when the disease can be especially serious.
From the 28th week: RSV vaccine
From the 28th week of pregnancy, the Brazilian schedule includes one dose of the vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in each pregnancy.
Maternal immunization helps protect the baby in the first months of life against complications associated with RSV, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
What about the yellow fever vaccine?
During pregnancy, the yellow fever vaccine is not part of routine vaccination.
It may be recommended in exceptional situations, mainly when the pregnant woman lives in or needs to travel to an area where the virus is circulating and exposure can't be avoided.
In these situations, the health team should assess the risks and benefits of vaccination on an individual basis.
Vaccination schedule for babies and children
In the first years of life, several vaccines are given in sequence because a child's immune system is still building its protection against different diseases.
At birth
While still at the maternity hospital or in the first days of life, the following are recommended:
* **BCG — single dose** * **Hepatitis B — 1 dose**
BCG mainly helps protect against severe forms of tuberculosis in childhood.
Scheduled doses:
- Pentavalent — 1st dose
- Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) — 1st dose
- Rotavirus — 1st dose
- Pneumococcal — 1st dose
In 2026, SUS (Brazil's public health system) began the transition to the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20).
Scheduled doses:
- Pentavalent — 2nd dose
- IPV — 2nd dose
- Rotavirus — 2nd dose
- Pneumococcal — 2nd dose
Why might both Pneumo 10 and Pneumo 20 appear on the same vaccination card?
This can happen and, in 2026, it doesn't necessarily mean there was a mistake.
Brazil's Ministry of Health has begun a transition from the 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine to the 20-valent pneumococcal vaccine.
During this phase, the official schedule may use:
- PCV20 for the first dose;
- PCV10 for the second dose;
- PCV20 for the booster at 12 months.
The schedule may also vary depending on the doses the child has already received and on vaccine availability during the transition.
So the family doesn't need to try to decide on their own which version of the vaccine should be used. The vaccination unit should assess the child's history.
Scheduled doses:
- Pentavalent — 3rd dose
- IPV — 3rd dose
- Influenza — start of annual vaccination
- COVID-19 — start of the schedule recommended for the age
For children from 6 months to under 6 years, the influenza vaccine should be given every year.
For the first influenza vaccination, two doses 30 days apart are recommended.
In the following years, one dose per season is enough.
COVID-19
In the 2026 schedule, the children's schedule with Comirnaty includes doses at:
- 6 months;
- 7 months;
- 9 months.
Immunocompromised children may receive additional recommendations.
Between 6 and 8 months: yellow fever in special situations
At this age, the yellow fever vaccine may be considered as an exception when there is significant epidemiological risk.
The decision should be made by the health service.
Scheduled doses:
- Yellow fever — 1st dose, as recommended in the schedule;
- COVID-19 — dose corresponding to the schedule started earlier.
Scheduled doses:
- Pneumococcal — booster;
- Meningococcal ACWY;
- MMR — 1st dose.
The MMR vaccine protects against:
- measles;
- mumps;
- rubella.
Recommended:
- DTP — 1st booster;
- IPV — booster;
- MMR — 2nd dose;
- Chickenpox (varicella) — 1st dose;
- Hepatitis A — single dose.
Scheduled:
- DTP — 2nd booster;
- IPV — 2nd booster;
- Chickenpox (varicella) — 2nd dose;
- Yellow fever — booster.
At 5 years
The 20-valent pneumococcal vaccine may be recommended for Indigenous peoples with no history of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination.
It is not a routine dose for all 5-year-old children.
At 9 years
The HPV vaccine is added to the schedule.
HPV vaccination helps prevent infections linked to different types of cancer and other diseases associated with the human papillomavirus.
The schedule includes 1 dose from age 9, with the possibility of later vaccination depending on age, history and current strategies.
Vaccination for teenagers and young people
Even with all childhood vaccines up to date, protection needs to continue during adolescence.
Vaccination history should be reviewed to identify any doses that may be overdue.
HPV
Guidance: 1 dose according to age group and vaccination history.
Hepatitis B
Guidance: complete the schedule when needed.
Yellow fever
Guidance: the recommendation depends on vaccination history and epidemiological risk.
MMR
Guidance: complete the schedule when there are pending doses.
Meningococcal ACWY
Guidance: there is a scheduled dose at age 11.
dT
Guidance: keep up with boosters according to vaccination history.
Dengue
Guidance: the recommendation depends on age, the vaccination strategy adopted and vaccine availability.
Dengue vaccine
In 2026, SUS has different strategies depending on age and the vaccine available.
From 10 to 14 years
The Takeda vaccine is given in 2 doses, 3 months apart.
From 15 to 59 years
The vaccine produced by the Butantan Institute (Instituto Butantan) is given as a single dose.
Expansion to people aged 15 to 59 is happening gradually and depends on dose availability and the strategy defined for each area.
So being in the recommended age group doesn't necessarily mean the vaccine is already available at that moment in every health unit in the country.
Vaccination for adults aged 25 to 59
Adults need to check their vaccination card too.
Vaccination doesn't end after childhood — even though many people only remember it when they're about to travel or after the classic “I stepped on a nail, now what?”.
Among the main vaccines scheduled according to history are:
Hepatitis B
Anyone who doesn't yet have a complete schedule can receive the doses needed to complete it.
dT — diphtheria and tetanus
Anyone without a complete schedule should update it.
After the initial schedule, periodic boosters are recommended, usually every 10 years.
In situations with a higher risk of exposure to tetanus or diphtheria, this interval may be shortened to five years.
MMR
The recommendation varies according to age and vaccination history.
In general:
- up to 29 years: 2-dose schedule;
- from 30 to 59 years: 1 dose;
- health workers: 2 doses, regardless of age, according to history.
Yellow fever
The recommendation depends on vaccination history and epidemiological risk, especially for people who live in or travel to areas where the virus is circulating.
Influenza
For adults in general, the flu vaccine is not part of the universal routine schedule in the same way it is for young children, pregnant women and older adults.
However, several groups of adults are included in the annual influenza vaccination strategies, such as health professionals and people with certain medical conditions.
Dengue
In 2026, the Butantan Institute vaccine was introduced for people aged 15 to 59, as a single dose.
Rollout is progressive, according to availability and local strategy.
Vaccination for people aged 60 and over
With aging, some infections carry a higher risk of complications.
That's why keeping vaccinations up to date remains essential.
Influenza
The influenza vaccine is recommended every year for people aged 60 and over.
COVID-19
The national schedule includes one dose every six months for older adults.
Hepatitis B
The schedule can be started or completed if there is no proof of previous vaccination.
dT
It's important to keep the diphtheria and tetanus schedule up to date.
After the complete schedule, boosters are recommended every ten years.
Yellow fever
For older adults, the recommendation should be assessed individually when there is a risk of exposure and the person is not adequately vaccinated.
The health service should weigh the risks and benefits before giving the vaccine.
20-valent pneumococcal
In the SUS schedule, PCV20 is not routinely recommended for all older adults.
It may be recommended, for example, for unvaccinated people who are bedridden or living in care institutions, and for some specific groups.
What if a vaccine is overdue?
Having an overdue vaccine doesn't necessarily mean the whole schedule has to be restarted.
In most situations, the health professional checks which doses have already been received and completes only the missing ones.
Bring your vaccination card or any proof of vaccination to the Basic Health Unit (UBS).
Even without a vaccination card, you can go to the service to get guidance.
How to organize your family's vaccinations
A good strategy is to regularly review the vaccination cards of everyone in the household — adults included.
A few simple habits help a lot:
- keep the paper vaccination cards somewhere easy to find;
- follow the records available in the Meu SUS Digital app;
- write down when the next dose is due;
- use routine appointments to ask for your vaccinations to be checked;
- bring the vaccination card to prenatal care and well-child appointments;
- go to a health unit whenever you have questions about overdue doses.
For children, the Caderneta Digital da Criança (the digital child health record) can also help with tracking.
Are SUS vaccines and private clinic vaccines the same?
Not always.
SUS offers a broad, free schedule, but private clinics may offer vaccines with different compositions, different combinations or additional recommendations from medical societies.
This doesn't mean that the vaccination offered by SUS is inadequate.
If the family plans to combine SUS doses with private vaccines, it's important to show the full vaccination history to the professional in charge.
This helps avoid unnecessary doses or inappropriate intervals.
Who might need a special schedule?
Some people may have recommendations that differ from those in this guide.
This can happen especially in cases of:
- immunosuppression;
- chronic diseases;
- cancer treatment;
- transplants;
- absence of the spleen;
- specific neurological or cardiopulmonary conditions;
- occupational exposure;
- travel to risk areas;
- history of significant reactions to vaccines.
In these situations, the health unit itself can refer you for follow-up at a Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE/RIE).
Vaccination is also family care
With so many names, doses, boosters and different ages, it's normal not to remember the whole schedule by heart.
The most important thing is not to rely on memory alone.
Keep the vaccination card, check the records regularly and use appointments to ask whether any dose is pending.
For those expecting a baby, this care begins during prenatal care.
Some of the vaccines the pregnant woman receives help provide protection precisely during the period when the newborn is still too young to complete their own vaccination schedule.
Important
This content is for educational purposes and was prepared based on the recommendations of the National Immunization Program in effect in 2026.
The schedule may be updated by Brazil's Ministry of Health, and the schedule recommended for each person may change according to age, vaccination history, medical conditions, pregnancy, vaccine availability and the epidemiological situation in the region.
If in doubt, go to a Basic Health Unit or another qualified professional to have your vaccination card assessed individually.
Sources consulted
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — National Vaccination Schedule 2026 (“Calendário Nacional de Vacinação 2026”).
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — National Technical Vaccination Schedule (“Calendário Técnico Nacional de Vacinação”).
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — National Vaccination Schedule for Pregnant Women (“Calendário Nacional de Vacinação da Gestante”).
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — National Child Vaccination Schedule (“Calendário Nacional de Vacinação da Criança”).
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — Technical Guide for Introducing the 20-valent Pneumococcal Vaccine into the National Immunization Program.
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — Operational Technical Guide for the Butantan Institute dengue vaccine.