Brazil suspends eight federal employees for fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates

Brazil's federal government has suspended eight civil servants for their involvement in a scheme to falsify COVID-19 vaccination certificates. The disciplinary actions, ranging from 32 to 47 days, target employees from federal universities and public hospitals who obtained fraudulent documents.

Investigations revealed that at least three of the suspended employees paid between R$400 and R$800 for the fake vaccination records. These illicit certificates were then used for various purposes, including international travel and to meet employment obligations at their respective institutions. The scheme has also drawn attention due to its alleged connection to former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of falsifying his own vaccination records.

The suspensions were officially published in the Diário Oficial da União on July 23, 2026. The methods employed varied, but a common pattern involved obtaining fake vaccination records and subsequently issuing fraudulent certificates. Professionals in healthcare, including a nursing assistant and a doctor in Rio de Janeiro, used these falsified documents to continue working with patients, receiving maximum suspensions of 47 and 37 days, respectively.

Cases also emerged within educational institutions. A federal university professor in the Northeast paid R$600 for a fake vaccination record, resulting in a 47-day suspension. Another professor in Paraná confessed to paying R$400 via a Telegram group, leading to a 42-day suspension. In Minas Gerais, an IT professional at a university paid the highest identified amount of R$800 for four fake vaccination records, yet received the shortest suspension of 32 days. Two other cases involved employees using fake records for international travel.