The city of Dourados, located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, has initiated Brazil's inaugural mass vaccination campaign against dengue, according to the city's government.
The effort, utilising Japanese drugmaker Takeda's QDENGA vaccine, aims to inoculate approximately 150,000 residents aged 4 to 59. The first batch of 90,000 doses, part of an agreement with the Japanese laboratory, began distribution on Wednesday.
The vaccination schedule involves administering a second dose three months later.
Dengue, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, can manifest as a mild illness or take more severe forms, sometimes resulting in fatalities. Symptoms include muscle weakness, drowsiness, food and liquid refusal, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
Brazil recorded 1.6 million dengue cases in 2023 by the end of the first week of December, marking a 15.8% increase compared to the same period the previous year, according to health ministry data. The number of deaths attributed to the infection rose by 5.4% to 1,053.
Takeda's vaccine, QDENGA, was added to Brazil's national vaccination program by the health ministry last month, known locally as 'SUS.' Due to limited supply, the vaccine will initially target priority groups and specific regions rather than a widespread national rollout. Brazil anticipates receiving an additional 5.08 million doses of the vaccine between February and November.
