The outbreak of dengue fever in Latin America has reached staggering proportions, with over a million cases reported in Brazil in just a few weeks. The situation has prompted a state of emergency in several countries, including Argentina, Peru, and Puerto Rico.
The spread of dengue is facilitated by the presence of mosquitoes in densely populated areas with weak infrastructure, as well as in warmer and wetter environments that are expanding due to climate change. More than 3.5 million cases of dengue have been confirmed in Latin America in the first three months of 2024, with over 1,000 deaths reported so far. The Pan-American Health Organization is warning that this may be the worst year for dengue ever recorded.
Amidst this crisis, researchers in Brazil have announced a breakthrough in the form of a new dengue vaccine that provides strong protection against the disease with just a single shot. The vaccine, developed by scientists at the National Institutes of Health in the United States and licensed for production by the Instituto Butantan in São Paulo, uses live, weakened forms of all four strains of the dengue virus.
Butantan, a major producer of vaccines in Brazil, plans to submit the new vaccine for regulatory approval in the coming months and could begin production next year. However, the vaccine will only be available in Brazil, leaving the rest of Latin America and other regions grappling with the disease without access to this potentially life-saving intervention.
The current outbreak in Brazil has disproportionately affected children, with those under 5 years old having the highest mortality rate. The Brazilian government has purchased a Japanese-made vaccine for dengue to protect children aged 6 to 16, but the supply is limited and will not contribute to herd immunity.
The high cost of dengue treatment and the economic impact of the disease in Brazil underscore the urgent need for effective prevention measures. The new vaccine offers hope for controlling future outbreaks, but the challenges of production and distribution remain significant hurdles in the fight against dengue.
