Objective: The Ministry of Health (MoH) started the national vaccination program against COVID-19 in January 2021 in Brazil. This work evaluated the regulatory journey related to the National Operational Plan (NOP) of vaccination against COVID-19, classifying it based on the nine priorities of the World Health Organization (WHO) to understand the priorities by quarter.

Method: This documental investigation used a bibliographic review of the regulatory publications on policies and political facts related to the NOP of vaccination against COVID-19.

Results: 105 normative acts were published in 2021, 51.5% in the first quarter, 31.4% in the second, and 17.2% in the last. In the first quarter, 19 normative acts were classified in Pillar 1 of the WHO (Coordination, planning, and monitoring at the country level), of which 57.9% were related to the provisioning of the financial resource. The First Quarter also showed 15 normative acts classified in Pillar 8 (Operational and logistical support), demonstrating the concern related to the distribution of the vaccine in a country with continental dimensions. After the start of the vaccination program and with greater MoH performance in the second quarter, 42.4% of normative acts were based on Pillar 9 (Maintenance of essential health systems and services). Finally, in the last quarter, 44.4% of normative acts were classified in Pillar 4 (Points of entry, international travel, and transport), reflecting the country's concern with unvaccinated and/or infected people with the new variants of the virus.

Conclusions: The assessment of normative acts related to COVID-19 in 2021 demonstrates how Brazilian authorities conducted public health policies to face the pandemic as vaccination progressed for different groups in the country. The regulatory journey shows the alignment of public policies in Brazil with the pillars of the WHO and the challenges faced by the country with the rapid spread of the pandemic.