The Brazilian Ministry of Health is considering expanding the supply of vaccines against dengue fever

Health Minister Nicia Trindade said on Saturday that the government is considering expanding the supply of vaccines against dengue fever in the country, due to the increase in infections that the country has witnessed since the beginning of the year. This information was conveyed during the opening of the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) against dengue in Brasilia, and according to the Minister, meetings were held with the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and the Butanta Institute to address this issue. The minister stated, “All our efforts will focus on expanding this supply of vaccines.” Brazil is the first country in the world to introduce the vaccine into the public health system, and the first shipment of about 757,000 doses arrived on January 20, according to the Brazilian agency. The batch is part of a total of 1.32 million doses provided by the pharmaceutical company responsible for Qdenga and another shipment of more than 568,000 doses scheduled for delivery in February. Over the course of the year, the country is expected to receive 5.2 million doses, and another 9 million doses have already been contracted for 2025. Initially, the vaccine will be applied to residents of affected areas, in 521 municipalities, but the minister warned of a lack of supply. It will not have immediate effects: “It – the vaccines – means a lot, especially because we are getting vaccines for 2024 and 2025 and all our efforts will be focused on expanding this supply, but it will not have an impact in this initial period of a few months.” The Council of Europe will expand the monitoring of the dengue situation in the country, guiding actions for epidemiological, laboratory, healthcare and vector control, the Ministry of Health reported. The structure, in coordination with states and municipalities, will collect and analyze data, issue reports and disseminate information through epidemiological bulletins and reports. Data from the administration's Arbovirus Situation Update Dashboard shows that from January to date, Brazil has recorded 243,721 probable cases of dengue, and the disease has already caused at least 29 confirmed deaths, with another 170 cases under investigation.