Brazil commences nationwide vaccination after dengue virus surge

Taking emergency measures to slow the spread of the mosquito-borne dengue illness, according to Reuters Brazil has purchased 5.2 million doses of the dengue vaccine named Qdenga, developed by Japanese drugmaker Takeda. According to a ministry statement, another 1.32 million doses will be provided at no cost to the government. On Friday 9 February, the country began vaccinating children aged 10– 14.

A hot rainy season has caused a surge in dengue fever in Brazil. According to the Health Ministry, in the first five weeks of 2024, 364,855 cases were reported, four times the amount reported for the same period in 2023.

Army troops have been deployed to help track breeding spots of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries and spreads the dengue virus.

Public health emergencies have been declared in Acre, Minas Gerais, Goiás, and the Federal District.

Reported cases of dengue in Brasilia, in the Federal District, since the start of the year have exceeded the total for the entirety of 2023, with an infection rate of 1,625 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with a national average of just 170.

Upon visiting Brasilia, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom said the dengue outbreak had been fuelled by the El Niño phenomenon, which brought increased rainfall to Brazil.

At a ministry event, Dr Tedros went on to point out: “This current dengue outbreak is part of a large global increase in dengue fever with over 500 million cases and over 5,000 deaths reported last year from 80 countries in every region of the world except Europe.”