The Ministry of Health integrates dengue vaccine into the unified health system

The vaccine will be offered to the public and priority areas. The vaccine, known as Qdenga, will not be widely used at first, as the Takeda manufacturing laboratory stated that it has limited capacity to provide doses.

The government will determine the vaccination strategy in the first weeks of January 2024. The National Immunization Program will work with the Technical Advisory Chamber on Immunization to determine the best strategy for using the available amount, prioritizing the target population and areas with high disease rates for application of doses.

The fortifier has undergone all evaluations prior to incorporation. The US vaccine supply was analyzed by the National Technology Integration Committee.

Dengue infection causes illness that can be asymptomatic or present in more serious forms. The classic viral form includes signs and symptoms such as: muscle weakness, drowsiness, refusal of food and fluids, vomiting, Diarrhea Or loose stools.

In 2022, Brazil had more than two million cases of dengue. According to the World Health Organization, by June 2023, there were 2,162,214 cases and 974 deaths due to dengue in the world. In 2022, 2,803,096 cases of dengue were reported in the Americas region, most of them in Brazil (2,383,001), which also resulted in severe forms, along with Colombia.

The Ministry of Health evaluated the cost-benefit ratio and the issue of access, because in a country like Brazil it is necessary to obtain a sufficient quantity of vaccines for the size of our population. Based on Conitec’s positive opinion, we will be the first country to provide public access to this vaccine, as a SUS vaccine. By the beginning of the year, we will identify target audiences taking into account Takeda’s limitations on the number of vaccines available. We will give priority.
Health Minister Nicia Trindade.