Brazil launches public health dengue vaccinations amid worst epidemic in 40 years | Planet of the future

Brazil is experiencing an explosive rise in dengue fever cases. A tropical disease transmitted by nasty mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and it causes fever, muscle pain and, in the worst case, bleeding and death, it has thrown half the country into a state of alarm. There have already been more than 530,000 cases and 90 deaths this year, the worst in 40 years. The South American giant has become the first country in the world to include a dengue vaccine in addition to the vaccines offered by public health to counter this health crisis. The immunization campaign began this week. This Thursday, Rio de Janeiro administered its first injections in Barra de Guaratiba, a peripheral area surrounded by beaches, rivers and mangroves that is home to the city’s largest dengue fever outbreak.

Neighbors were surprised this morning by a crowd of photographers and media anticipation reminiscent of the arrival of the first Covid-19 vaccines. On a terrace by the sea, 32-year-old Pauliana Soares was the first to get a puncture in her arm. “It was a very big surprise. Yesterday they called me and said that they had chosen me. I’ve never had dengue, but I know people who have died from dengue and I’m very happy. Now I feel much safer,” she admitted, smiling.

The dengue vaccine is already available in some countries, but for tourists traveling to risk areas, in most cases it is paid.

The dengue vaccine is already available in some countries, but for tourists traveling to risk areas, in most cases it is paid. The Brazilian authorities have purchased six million doses of the vaccine from the Japanese laboratory Takeda, which will allow them to immunize three million people (two doses are required). This is the maximum that the company offered, but it is not enough for a giant with a population of more than 210 million people, so at the moment the priority is children 10 years and older and 521 cities with the highest incidence rates. In recent weeks, four states and more than 40 cities have declared states of emergency. Among them is Rio de Janeiro, where vaccination of the population began this Thursday.

In fact, Soares and the others vaccinated on this first day in Rio are not part of the vaccination campaign itself. She is one of 20,000 people in her area selected for clinical trials to understand how the vaccine works in adults aged 18 to 40. Although the vaccine has already been certified as safe internationally, there is a lack of in-depth knowledge about its level of effectiveness in large populations and how it can be used in public policy, Health Ministry officials explained at a press conference held.

Although the vaccine has already been certified as safe internationally, there is a lack of in-depth knowledge about its level of effectiveness in large populations and how it can be used in public policy.

Blood samples were taken from the participants and they will be monitored for two years. The results of this study are expected to be critical to the possibility of widespread use of a dengue vaccine. “Brazil is the first country to use this vaccine in a public health strategy. The whole world is watching what we do. Now we are going to produce more knowledge. Scientific data will help make decisions at the international level,” commented Eder Gatti, director of the National Immunization Program, during a speech in Rio.

Six million anti-dengue doses purchased from a Japanese laboratory will arrive in Brazil over the course of this year, but negotiations are already underway to transfer the technology to the company and thus Brazil begins to produce the vaccine on its territory. larger scale.

At the same time, hopes are pinned on another vaccine, this time produced in Brazil. This is a method developed by the Butantan Institute, a leading government agency in the field of immunization. It is currently known to be 80% effective, although it still has several trials to go before approval and will likely not be available for use until 2025. Its big advantage is that it is a single dose, allowing it to protect more people in less time.

Authorities are linking the historic outbreak to the effects of climate change and El Niño, which has gripped Brazil this summer with increasingly intense heat waves and heavy rain.

Wolbachia method

In addition to vaccines, Brazil has been working for years on the so-called Wolbachia method: mosquitoes are grown in a laboratory with bacteria that prevent them from transmitting dengue fever to other mosquitoes and therefore to the surrounding human population. Eventually, these modified mosquitoes multiply and crowd out the local population, reducing the ability to transmit not only dengue fever, but also Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

A vaccine and a manipulated mosquito are mid- to long-term strategies, but in the meantime, on the front lines, public health agents are not resting. Many cities have reserved hospital buildings for dengue patients, and there are even field hospitals run by the military on the outskirts of Brasilia, one of the worst-hit regions. Fumigation has also been stepped up in the most sensitive areas, and awareness campaigns have been stepped up to ensure the public does not leave stagnant water in flower pots, on terraces or in rubbish remains. Most people become infected with dengue due to mosquito breeding sites near their homes.

Authorities are linking the historic outbreak to the effects of climate change and El Niño, which has gripped Brazil this summer with increasingly intense heat waves and torrential rain, the secretary of state explained, a haven for the mosquito vector. Ministry Observation, Ethel Maciel. “With climate change, we’re already seeing dengue in places where we haven’t seen it before, even in Europe, so we’re going to have to step up control. “Brazil can help the rest of the world decide what to do,” he admitted.

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