The Government of Brazil announced the creation of the first dengue vaccine completely produced in the country. It is expected that by 2026 there will be 60 million doses annually of this vaccine distributed through the public health network. The vaccine, a single dose and effective against all four types of dengue, will be developed by the Butantan Institute in collaboration with the Chinese company WuXi Biologics, with an initial investment estimated at 1.26 billion reais (approximately 221 million dollars).
The announcement ceremony was led by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Health Minister Nísia Trindade. Although the president did not speak at the event, the minister presented the project. This announcement took place amid rumors of possible changes in the ministerial cabinet that could affect Trindade.
In 2024, Brazil registered a record of 6.65 million probable cases of dengue and 6,022 deaths related to the disease, which has had a significant impact on the country in recent years. Although probable cases have decreased by 30% so far this year, concerning regions continue to be reported, such as the state of São Paulo, which declared a health emergency with 200,000 probable cases, 102 confirmed deaths, and 225 under investigation between January and February.
Last year, the Brazilian Government implemented a vaccination campaign against dengue with the Japanese Takeda vaccine. However, the doses acquired were only enough to immunize 3.3 million children aged 10 to 14 years. For this year, the Ministry of Health has acquired nine million doses of the Japanese vaccine so far, with the possibility of increasing the amount in the second semester.
