The Municipal Health Department of Dourados (MS) started the vaccination campaign against dengue. The vaccine used is Qdenga, from the Japanese laboratory Takeda, which was rejected by the Lula government in October last year.
The objective is to immunize around 150 thousand people between 4 and 59 years old
The Qdenga vaccine has been available in the private health network since July 2023 and offers complete immunity with two doses, the second being administered three months after the first. According to the city hall, the laboratory has already delivered approximately 90 thousand doses, which were distributed to all basic health units (UBS).
The overall effectiveness of the Qdenga vaccine reached 80.2% against dengue caused by any serotype, 12 months after the second dose. Furthermore, the vaccine also reduced hospitalizations by 90%. According to the Takeda laboratory, the immunization offered by the vaccine lasts up to five years.
The World Health Organization (WHO) began recommending the vaccine in October 2023. The decision was based on analyzes by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).
The Qdenga vaccine, also known as TAK-003, was approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in March last year for use in Brazil in people aged 4 to 60, regardless of whether they have already been infected by dengue or not.
The responsible laboratory requested the Ministry of Health to include the vaccine in the Unified Health System (SUS).]
In July, the Ministry of Health said that the dengue vaccine produced by the Japanese laboratory and authorized by Anvisa still needed analysis and that it could take up to a year to be incorporated into the public system.
The government, amid record cases of the disease, preferred to prioritize a vaccine that has been produced by the Butantan Institute since 2009. The vaccine has not even had its research completed and can only be released by Anvisa in 2025.
After a public consultation, the PT government decided to use the vaccine and today counts the agreement reached with the Japanese laboratory as a victory. Perhaps if it had been accepted earlier, many people would not have lost their lives.