Brazil has become the first country to roll out a national dengue vaccination program, in response to a surge of dengue fever cases across the country. The country’s health ministry said nearly 365,000 dengue cases were reported in the first five weeks of 2024, four times the number during the same period in 2023.
Brazil has purchased 5.2m doses of the dengue vaccine Qdenga and is commencing vaccination of children aged 10 to 14 years.
Dengue is a viral infection, spread by mosquitoes to people. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been more than five million cases globally and more than 5,000 dengue-related deaths reported.
The Guardian: Brazil starts mass vaccination amid upsurge in dengue fever