The bioindustrial center of the Butantan Institute, in São Paulo, announced today (22) that it has started production of immunizers against dengue. Despite the initiative, the Brazilian population will not be massively vaccinated against dengue this year.
The problem is manufacturing the Butantan-DV vaccine to scale production to reach a hundred million. “Butantan is producing, but there is no forecast for mass vaccination in 2025, this is very important to say, regardless of Anvisa, because it is necessary to have scale in this production”, stated the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade.
Butantan’s forecast, released in December, is to supply one million doses this year; and total delivery of 100 million doses in 2027.
The delivery of doses can only occur after the vaccine is released by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which is currently analyzing the documents presented about the vaccines. Subsequently, the vaccine must be submitted to the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies into the Unified Health System (Conitec) for incorporation into the immunization program.
Butantan-DV will be a single-dose vaccine. According to the minister, clinical studies indicate “excellent efficacy”, but while it is not available on the desired scale it is necessary to reiterate and maintain the care guided by the Ministry of Health against mosquito Aedes aegypti.
This Wednesday (22) afternoon, in Brasília, minister Nísia Trindade met with representatives of councils, civil society, health institutions, associations and experts to discuss and align strategies to control dengue and other arboviruses.
Next week, before the return of classes in public schools, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education will resume initiatives under the Health at School program, present in 96% of Brazilian municipalities, to have schools as dengue-free spaces.
Among the measures, in addition to information and mobilization of communities in and around schools, it is planned to spray school buildings with an insecticide with prolonged action against the Aedes aegypti.
