A National Health Surveillance Agency – Anvisa approved an immunizer against dengue this Thursday (2). A Qdenga, from the company Takeda Pharma Ltd., It has over 80% efficacy against viral disease. She is indicated for those who have never been diagnosed with dengue, and can also act for those who have had it. Qdenga is the first vaccine approved in Brazil for a wider audience: from 4 to 60 years of age.
In 2022, there were registered 1,016 deaths from dengue in Brazil, reaching a record: the number was the highest since the 1980swhen the disease ‘reemerged’ in the country.
How is the vaccine made up?
Takeda Pharma’s vaccine is made up of attenuated versions of four different serotypes of the dengue virus. In tests, it showed an overall effectiveness of 80.2% against the disease after 12 months of applying the second dose. The studies also indicated that Qdenga reduced hospitalizations by 90%.
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According to biomedical and public health specialist Roberto Martins Figueiredo, the immunizer was developed from the type 2 virus as a base – the total that can develop the disease are 4 types.
Who can take?
For children over 4 years old, teenagers and adults up to 60 years old. It will be 2 shots, with an interval of 3 months from one to the other. The application of 2 doses is valid both for those who have had dengue and for those who have never been bitten by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
Effects
“When taking the vaccine, the effects can be similar to those caused by other immunizers, such as arm pain, and cold symptoms, such as body pain”, warns Figueiredo. But the reactions cannot be an impediment, according to him, for taking the vaccine.
According to the study by the European health agency EMA, which had already approved the vaccine in 2022, pain and redness at the application site, headache and muscle pain, in addition to general malaise and weakness also appear as side effects.
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