Dengue vaccine: find out how to get vaccinated on the private network – 01/18/2024 – Health

The start of immunization with Takeda’s dengue vaccine, Qdenga, incorporated into the SUS (Unified Health System) is scheduled for February. The Ministry of Health must prioritize an undefined portion of the population between 6 and 16 years old, as recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization), but this still needs to be approved by the CIT (Tripartite Intermanagers Commission).

According to the laboratory, the forecast is that 5.082 million doses will be delivered between February and November this year.

However, anyone who does not want to wait or is not within the age range to receive the dengue vaccine via SUS can use private clinics. They administer the vaccine to people between 4 and 60 years old, normally with a medical prescription. On average, a dose varies between R$400 and R$490 in the clinics researched by the report. The vaccination schedule consists of two doses.

Both those who have already had dengue and those who have never been infected can receive the vaccine. However, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people allergic to any of the components present in the vaccine, those with a compromised immune system or some immunosuppressive condition cannot be vaccinated with Qdenga.

According to José Geraldo Leite Ribeiro, epidemiologist at Grupo Fleury, demand for the Qdenga vaccine began to grow when the PNI (National Immunization Program) announced that it would incorporate it.

The doctor states that there is still no exact survey by age group of people who have been looking for the vaccine, but from what he has seen in the network’s clinics, in different states of the country, the greatest demand is in the range between 25 and 40 years old. “Parents have also been looking for children,” says Ribeiro.

On average, at Grupo Fleury, the cost of each dose of the Qdenga vaccine varies between R$400 and R$490 depending on the region. Between one dose and another, it is necessary to wait an interval of three months.

The epidemiologist explains that a medical prescription is required to be vaccinated at Fleury. “Brazilian legislation recommends that private services apply vaccines that are not on the PNI calendar and for your age group based on medical recommendation. Often you do not have a prescription, but our guidance is that the vaccination room confirms whether it has been the doctor who recommended it. We, for example, have a questionnaire that the person fills out before receiving Qdenga, as there are some restrictions.”

He explains that at Grupo Fleury units in São Paulo, for example, there is a medical interview. “The unit’s own doctor can check these contraindication issues, but we always try to work with medical advice.”

Although the groups most vulnerable to serious cases and deaths from dengue are young children and the elderly, according to Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency), Qdenga is recommended for those over four years old and for adults up to 60 years old — there is no studies to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine outside this age group.

Dasa’s infectious disease specialist and vaccine consultant, Maria Isabel de Moraes Pinto, states that people of different ages have sought Qdenga in the network’s clinics, but mainly adults. “Some of them bring their children and the whole family gets immunized.”

According to doctor Maria Isabel, from Dasa, the vaccines are available in all laboratories in the network, such as Alta Diagnósticos and Delboni, in São Paulo; Sérgio Franco, Lâmina and Bronstein, in Rio de Janeiro. In the Northeast at Leme Image and Cerpe Prime; in the Central-West in Exame and Atalaia.

However, the network did not disclose values, suggesting that consultation be carried out on the ABCVAC website, a sector entity.

At Clinivac, the cost is R$440 per dose of Qdenga. However, this month, it is possible to obtain a 10% discount when scheduling the vaccine via the website, where a code is generated during the process. By phone, you must request the discount; in person, simply inform that you want the discount announced on Instagram and on the Clinivac website.

Among the clinics consulted by Sheetthe Dengvaxia vaccine, from the manufacturer Sanofi, also approved in Brazil, is available from Dasa, which did not disclose prices.

“Dengvaxia is made from a live attenuated virus and applied in three doses that must be administered six months apart, taking 12 months to complete immunization. It is only indicated for people who have already had dengue and provides protection against the four types of dengue”, explains infectious disease specialist and vaccine consultant at Dasa, Maria Isabel de Moraes Pinto.

At the beginning of last December, the Ministry of Health released a bulletin showing a 15.8% increase in dengue cases in Brazil in 2023, compared to the previous year. Occurrences jumped from 1.3 million in 2022 to 1.6 million.