According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dengue is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates.
Most people who get dengue won’t have symptoms. But for those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Most will also get better in 1–2 weeks. Some people develop severe dengue and need care in a hospital. In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.
The best way to lower the risk of getting Dengue is by avoiding mosquito bites especially during the day. Dengue is treated with pain medicine as there is no specific treatment currently.
However, there is something else going on this summer.
Brazil has received its first shipment of the dengue vaccine, which will be provided by the country’s public healthcare network, the SUS. The government has obtained 720,000 doses of the Qdenga vaccine from the Japanese laboratory Takeda Pharma, free of charge. The initial vaccinations are scheduled to start in February.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health will receive approximately 600,000 complimentary doses from the manufacturer, bringing the total to 1.32 million. Furthermore, the ministry has purchased 5.2 million doses, with gradual deliveries expected until November.
The combined 6.52 million doses represent the laboratory’s total capacity for this year. However, due to this limitation, only slightly more than 3.2 million individuals will be vaccinated in 2024, as the vaccination regimen requires two doses with a minimum interval of 90 days between them.
The vaccine will be prioritized for children and adolescents aged 10 to 14, as this age group has exhibited the highest number of dengue-related hospitalizations, second only to the elderly. However, the vaccine has not yet been approved by Brazil’s national drug regulator Anvisa for use in the elderly.
The vaccines will primarily be allocated to large municipalities with high dengue transmission rates over the past decade and to residents of cities with populations exceeding 100,000.
Pioneering initiative
Brazil is the first country to offer the dengue vaccine through a public healthcare system.
Anvisa approved the Japanese vaccine in March of last year, and it has been available in private clinics since July. The immunizer is suitable for individuals aged 4 to 60 and can prevent dengue regardless of prior exposure to the disease, without requiring a pre-vaccination test.
Source: WHO and Agência Brasil