The Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation in Health of the Ministry of Health published an ordinance with the decision not to incorporate the herpes zoster vaccine into the Unified Health System (SUS) for immunocompromised people aged 18 and over and elderly people aged 80 and over. The publication was made on Monday, 12th, in the Official Gazette of the Union.
Main symptoms of shingles include red patches of skin with blisters and headache. Photo: Suriyawut/Adobe Stock
The budget impact analysis considered a maximum supply of three million doses per year, which would correspond to the vaccination of 1.5 million patients, and 5,456,211 people eligible to receive the vaccine.
According to the commission, to vaccinate 1.5 million patients in the first year, the cost would be R$1.2 billion and, in the fifth year, vaccinating the remaining 471,000 patients would cost R$380 million. “At the end of five years, the total investment would be R$5.2 billion. Therefore, the vaccine was considered not cost-effective”, says the August report.
The vaccine analyzed for incorporation was Shingrix, from the pharmaceutical company GSK. The vaccine was approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in 2021 and is indicated for adults over 50 years of age or over 18 years of age at increased risk of developing the disease, such as those who are immunocompromised.
The indication proposed to Conitec provided for the vaccine to be allocated to elderly people over 80 years of age and immunocompromised people over 18 years of age. The vaccine remains available in the private health network.
In the public system, the varicella (chickenpox) and tetraviral (measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox) vaccines are available, both indicated for use in childhood, according to the National Immunization Program (PNI).
Symptoms of shingles
Also known as “shingles”, herpes zoster is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, varicella-zoster. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles in adulthood, especially the elderly and people with low immunity, such as cancer or HIV patients.
The main symptoms include nerve pain, headache, malaise and reddish patches of skin with blisters. The disease also causes itching, burning, sensitivity and low fever. The trunk, face, lower back and neck regions are usually the most affected.
Diagnosis in the SUS is made through clinical evaluation, and treatment seeks to alleviate pain and prevent the lesions from progressing. In milder cases, management is symptomatic, with medication and hygiene care for the lesions.
In patients at higher risk, such as the elderly, immunocompromised and people with serious illnesses, treatment in the SUS is carried out with the antiviral acyclovir.
Prevention
Among the main prevention strategies against the disease recommended by the Ministry of Health are vaccination, hand hygiene after contact with injuries, isolation in case of disease development and disinfection of objects contaminated with secretions from chickenpox patients.
