Brazil's Low COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination Rates Endanger Pregnant Women

In Brazil, only 55 % of pregnant women received the COVID‑19 vaccine and 76 % received the flu shot, falling short of the Ministry of Health’s 90 % target. Official data show that from 2023 to early August 2026, 286 pregnant or recently postpartum women developed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) after influenza infection, with 25 deaths, including seven this year. COVID‑19 caused 205 severe cases and 21 deaths in the same period. During the pandemic’s peak years (2020‑2022), 3,547 ARDS cases among pregnant or postpartum women were confirmed, resulting in 811 deaths. Vaccination has cut SARS rates to one‑third and mortality to one‑fifth of pre‑vaccination levels, yet combined COVID‑19 and flu still account for nearly 30 % of SARS cases and over 50 % of deaths this year. Pregnant women remain a high‑risk group, and health authorities recommend all routine vaccines—including hepatitis B, dT, dTpa, VSR, and, when indicated, yellow fever—be administered during pregnancy.