Meningococcal ACWY vaccine in Rio: eligibility through Saturday

If you are ages 1–59, are in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and have never received the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, you may receive one free dose through this Saturday, October 31. This is a temporary local expansion: it does not permanently add everyone in this age range to Brazil’s routine public vaccination schedule. People who have already received ACWY are not part of the group announced for this initiative.

The guidance appeared in a Rio City Hall announcement reproduced by the Barra Mansa municipal news portal. Because supply depends on available batches and the deadline is close, check the official information before traveling.

Quick decision: should I visit a vaccination site?

Use these criteria:

• I am ages 1–59 and have never received ACWY: the expansion allows you to receive one dose through October 31 at the municipal vaccination sites included in the initiative.
• I have already received ACWY: the exceptional rule was announced for people who had not previously received it. Bring your vaccination record so staff can check your history.
• I do not know which vaccine I received: do not assume it was ACWY. Show your vaccination card or any other record and ask the team to assess it.
• I am 60 or older: the announced expansion does not include this age group. A health service must assess your case under the applicable rules; this initiative does not guarantee vaccination.
• The vaccine is for a young child: the announcement gives separate rules for the first months of life and the childhood booster. Staff must check the child’s age and vaccination history.

The announced schedule for people ages 1–59 is a single dose. The vaccine protects against meningococcal diseases associated with serogroups A, C, W, and Y.

Where to find the vaccine in Rio

The announcement reports availability at the city’s 245 vaccination rooms, including primary care units and the three Super Centros Cariocas de Vacinação. Family clinics and municipal health centers are also listed by the Rio Municipal Health Department as regular vaccination sites.

Use the municipal page to find the most convenient option and confirm same-day service. The announcement does not guarantee stock at every location when you arrive.

These addresses and hours were checked on the Rio Health Department’s Super Centros page on October 30, 2026. All times below are local Rio de Janeiro time — BRT (UTC−3):

• Botafogo: Rua General Severiano, 91; routine vaccination daily, 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
• Campo Grande: Estrada do Monteiro, 1200, second floor of ParkShoppingCampoGrande; Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., and Sundays and holidays, 1–9 p.m.
• North Zone: Avenida Pastor Martin Luther King Jr., 126, second floor of Shopping Nova América in Del Castilho; Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., and Sundays and holidays, 1–9 p.m.

At the two shopping mall sites, hours may vary with the mall’s operation. Confirm them through the official link before leaving.

What to bring

At the Super Centros, bring an identity document. The Health Department also asks for your vaccination card if possible. The record is particularly useful because eligibility for this initiative depends on not having previously received meningococcal ACWY.

If your card is missing or incomplete, take any records you have and explain the situation to the team. The sources do not support a promise that vaccination will occur without a history assessment; the vaccination service makes the operational decision.

Why different age limits appear online

Some pages published before the expansion still show the earlier eligible group. One example is the UFRJ notice published on October 15, which reports service at its Adult Vaccination Center for people ages 3 months–24 years and healthcare workers of any age.

That notice remains useful for the center’s specific conditions: service Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., in Block L of the Health Sciences Center. This is local Rio time, BRT (UTC−3), as stated on the page checked on October 30, 2026. It does not, however, confirm that the university site later adopted the municipal limit of 59. Do not automatically transfer the municipal network’s rule to UFRJ; confirm directly with the institution.

For the municipal network initiative, the later update applies: people ages 1–59 who have not received ACWY, through October 31.

The temporary measure does not change the national schedule

The expansion for adults through age 59 was presented as an exceptional October measure to optimize available batches. It does not mean that ACWY has permanently become a routine vaccine for all adults.

In the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s National Vaccination Schedule, ACWY appears at 12 months and at age 11, with catch-up vaccination through 14 years, 11 months, and 29 days. The municipal announcement also says the vaccine entered the routine schedule for adolescents ages 11–14 in 2020 and children ages 1–4 in 2025.

This distinction prevents two mistakes: assuming every adult will retain regular access after the deadline, or concluding that children and adolescents lose their routine indication when the initiative ends. The expanded initiative finishes October 31; the permanent schedule continues according to age and vaccination history.

Before you leave

Check three points: that you have never received ACWY, that you are ages 1–59, and that your chosen site is maintaining its published service. Bring identification and, if possible, your vaccination card. If you fall outside these criteria or your history is uncertain, ask the health team for guidance instead of assuming eligibility.