Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are saved in cages from which researchers gather their eggs within the laboratory of biotech firm Walbito do Brasil in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The world’s largest mosquito breeding manufacturing facility, often called Wolbitos after the Wolbachia bacterium injected into mosquitoes to cease the unfold of dengue fever, is situated within the southern metropolis of Curitiba. |Picture credit score: AFP
Brazil introduced on Monday, June 8, 2026, that it will droop using the world’s first single-dose dengue vaccine following two suspicious deaths.
Greater than 500,000 individuals have obtained the vaccine this yr, which was publicly developed in Brazil and accredited by well being authorities in November.
That is the primary single-dose vaccination in opposition to the mosquito-borne dengue virus, which may trigger excessive fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea, rash, and in uncommon circumstances could be deadly.
Of the 501,044 individuals vaccinated between January and Could, 3,703 individuals, or 0.7%, developed dengue-like signs.
In the meantime, 42 individuals had “extra extreme reactions”, the Ministry of Well being stated.
Authorities have recorded three severe circumstances, together with two deaths involving a 58-year-old man and a 48-year-old lady. The 38-year-old lady was admitted to intensive care, however has since been discharged.
“Though there may be not sufficient information to show a causal relationship between the vaccine and these three extreme circumstances, this can be a warning sign,” Well being Minister Alexandre Pasilla instructed a information convention.
He added that as a precaution “we’ve got determined to briefly droop vaccinations” however didn’t elaborate on what can be required for reintroduction.
The minister stated testing of greater than 16,000 volunteers in 14 Brazilian states had not noticed any “completely surprising” results.
These trials recorded an efficacy fee of 91.6 % in opposition to probably the most extreme illness.
The one different dengue vaccine, TAK-003, requires two doses given three months aside, in accordance with the World Well being Group (WHO).
A single dose may pace up and simplify large-scale vaccination campaigns.
Brazil is anticipated to have greater than 6,000 dengue deaths in 2024, nearly half of the deaths recorded worldwide, however the state of affairs improved considerably final yr.
