Resende supports all vaccines recommended for children up to 52 weeks

The Municipality of Resende will cover the full cost of vaccines recommended for children up to 52 weeks of age that are not included in the National Vaccination Program. The measure is part of the Municipal Regulation for Support of Childhood Vaccination, approved by the City Council on September 16, 2026, and by the Municipal Assembly on September 24, and published in a notice signed by the mayor, Fernando Silvério Cardoso de Sousa, in the Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 219, of November 11, 2026, under the reference Notice no. 1438/2026.

The regulation stems from a finding stated in the preamble: there are vaccines recommended by health authorities and scientific societies that, while not integrated into the National Vaccination Program for the general population, entail costs borne by families. The municipal executive frames the intervention within its duties in the fields of health and social action and assumes it as a measure to support parenthood, promote birth rates, and combat demographic decline. The drafting was preceded by a regulatory procedure under Article 98 of the Code of Administrative Procedure, without any contributions being submitted or interested parties being established.

Rotavirus vaccine among those covered

Article 4 defines as eligible the vaccines recommended for children up to 52 weeks that cumulatively meet three conditions: prescription by a legally qualified health professional, not being covered by the National Vaccination Program in the child’s specific situation, and not being fully funded by another public program or mechanism.

• Vaccination against rotavirus is expressly included in the measure when prescribed for a child not covered by the free national program.
• The City Council may, by reasoned deliberation, include other vaccines recommended by health authorities or scientific entities.
• The integration of a vaccine into the national program or its transition to full public funding terminates the municipal co-payment.

No income assessment

Children up to 52 weeks of age may benefit from the support, with the request being submitable by either parent, the legal representative, or the person or entity to whom the child is entrusted by judicial or administrative decision. The access conditions are cumulative:

• the child must reside in the municipality of Resende;
• at least one parent, legal representative, or guardian must have tax residence or headquarters in the municipality;
• there must be a medical prescription for the vaccine;
• the vaccine must not be covered by the national program or any other public regime applicable to the child;
• no other financial support has been granted for the same purpose.

Article 6 determines that the granting of support “does not depend on the income, assets or socioeconomic condition of the household”, which distinguishes this measure from other municipal supports subject to income brackets.

Participating pharmacies or reimbursement within 30 days

Support is granted preferably through protocols with participating pharmacies based in the municipality; when this is not possible, reimbursement to the applicant may be authorized. The co-payment covers the clinically recommended number of doses, provided they are administered within the expected period, but excludes administration costs, medical consultations or other clinical acts. The procedure sets concrete deadlines:

• 15 working days for the applicant to remedy deficiencies in the application;
• 10 working days for the decision, which is the responsibility of the mayor or a council member with delegated authority;
• 30 days for the payment of the reimbursement, via bank transfer, following a favorable decision.

In participating pharmacies, payment is made directly by the municipality. Expenses are subject to the funds listed in the Municipal Budget and the granting depends on available allocation, with an annual evaluation report being prepared and submitted to the City Council by March 31 of the following year, detailing applications, beneficiaries, doses, expenditure and execution rate.

The regulation also provides for the possibility of the municipality requiring proof of administration, via the child health record, and determines the annulment of support and the restitution of amounts in case of false declarations. Article 16, regarding data protection, refers by mistake to “scholarships” instead of vaccination support, referring to the General Data Protection Regulation and Law No. 58/2019. The decree enters into force on the day following its publication, i.e., November 12, 2026.

The relevance of the measure lies in the cost it removes from families: the rotavirus vaccine, recommended but not free for the majority of children, ceases to be a discretionary expense for families in the municipality during the first year of life. The extension to other vaccines, however, depends on a council deliberation and budget availability, making the annual execution report the decisive document to determine if the support is maintained or expanded.

Source: Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 219, of November 11, 2026, Municipality of Resende (official reference: Notice no. 1438/2026).