Brazil vaccinated 15% of the public for immunization against dengue – 03/05/2024 – Health

Brazil vaccinated 15.4% of the target audience for immunization against dengue in the country until this Monday (4), amid outbreaks of the disease. According to the Ministry of Health, 1.2 million doses were distributed among the states and, of these, 190 thousand were applied.

Due to the limited quantity of vaccines made available by the manufacturer, the target audience only includes young people aged 10 to 14 located in municipalities with high transmission of the disease and incidence of serotype 2.

According to the ministry, the audience was decided in agreement with states and municipalities, taking into account the recommendations of experts from CTAI (Technical Advisory Chamber on Immunization) and WHO (World Health Organization). The department is trying to expand vaccine production in Brazil, in partnership with the Butantan Institute and Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz).

The country recorded more than 1 million probable cases of dengue and 214 confirmed deaths from the disease from January to March 2024. In the same period last year, the country had 207 thousand cases.

The incidence rate of 617 cases per 100,000 inhabitants shows that the situation is considered epidemic, according to WHO criteria.

In São Paulo, according to the State Department of Health, since February 19, more than 13,700 doses have been administered to residents of the 11 municipalities of Alto Tietê, providing coverage of 17.3% of the eligible population. At the beginning of February, 79,400 doses were sent by the Ministry of Health to the state.

The Government of São Paulo decided to declare a state of emergency for dengue this Tuesday (5). Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Distrito Federal and Acre also declared an epidemiological emergency due to the disease.

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Approval for the vaccine was received by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) in March 2023 for people aged 4 to 60 years. It is applied subcutaneously, in two doses, three months apart.

Children who have had the disease in the last six months or have had an acute febrile illness in the last 24 hours are not eligible to receive the vaccine. Immunocompromised people who have untreated HIV, who undergo chemotherapy and/or use immunobiological medications also cannot be vaccinated.

Girls aged 11 who have already had their first period must inform the date of their last flow.