The collaboration with a researcher and a pharmaceutical company makes Dourados the first municipality to test mass immunization
Golden, inside Mato Grosso do Sulbecame on Wednesday the 3rd the first city in the world to start a mass vaccination process against the virus dengue. This was only possible thanks to the partnership with the pharmaceutical company Takeda.
Brazil will only begin adopting the vaccine next month as part of the national calendar. As stated by Estadãothe forecast is that around 3.1 million people will be able to be vaccinated in this first year of the campaign, as Takeda will be able to deliver around 6.2 million doses in 2024 – 1.2 million via donations and 5 million based on purchase contract – and the complete vaccination program includes two doses.
The local municipality announced that the first dose has been administered Francisleine Costamother of teenager Julio Cesar da Costa, 15 years old, who died of dengue in 2023. “My son was buried on his birthday. Now the vaccine has arrived and I am campaigning for everyone to get vaccinated so as not to die the same pain I am happy that Dourados is the first city to provide this service to the public.”
The municipal management reported strong demand on the first day of vaccination. Initially, 90,000 doses of the Qdenga vaccine were distributed. But the pharmaceutical company has guaranteed the supply of 150 thousand doses, enough for all residents of Douradense between 4 and 59 years old.
The immunization is part of a pharmaceutical project in collaboration with researcher Julio Croda, from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), which seeks to evaluate the protection provided outside the laboratory, in a real population. “There are 300,000 doses available which expire in August this year and will be used for this study, the first of its kind for this vaccine worldwide,” Croda told O Globo newspaper. Takeda, in turn, clarified that the initiative began even before the federal government purchased the doses.
Prevalence
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the number of dengue cases in 2023, published by Estadão ten days ago, indicate Brazil as the country with the highest incidence of the disease. In total, there were 2.9 million cases as of December 11, more than half of the more than 5 million recorded worldwide. According to the entity, there is a historic level for dengue fever.
The WHO has warned that the disease has also spread to countries where it has not historically circulated, such as France, Italy and Spain. Among the reasons for the spread is the climate crisis, which has raised global temperatures and allowed the mosquito that transmits dengue fever, the Aedes aegiziit survives in an environment where this did not happen before: in this way it is able to reproduce more and more.
The El Niño phenomenon, which has now reached its peak, has also accentuated the effects of global warming and climate change, and its effects, including unprecedented heat waves, are expected to persist until May or June. OR The Brazilian Ministry of Health already predicts an increase in cases of the disease this year – and, therefore, will adopt the application of the vaccine in general, which is also unprecedented in the world.
Deceased
WHO data also warns about the number of serious cases of dengue fever: in total, 5,000 people have died from the disease worldwide this year. In Brazil, 1,474 cases, equal to 0.05% of the total cases, belong to the hemorrhagic version, which can kill.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
