World’s first single-dose dengue vaccine developed in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian health authorities have approved the world’s first single-dose vaccine against dengue, hailing the breakthrough as a “historic” milestone in the fight against the mosquito-borne disease, which is surging globally amid rising temperatures.

The country’s medicines regulator, ANVISA, authorised the use of Butantan-DV, developed by the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, for people aged between 12 and 59. The vaccine, the result of eight years of clinical trials across Brazil, demonstrated 91.6 per cent efficacy against severe dengue in tests involving more than 16,000 volunteers.

“This is a historic achievement for science and health in Brazil,” said Esper Kallas, director of the Butantan Institute. “A disease that has plagued us for decades can now be fought with a very powerful weapon.”

At present, the only dengue vaccine available worldwide is TAK-003, which requires two doses administered three months apart, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The new single-dose jab is expected to simplify and accelerate vaccination campaigns.

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Why is the new dengue vaccine important?

Dengue, often referred to as “breakbone fever” due to its debilitating symptoms of intense fatigue, body aches and flu-like illness, reached record levels in 2024. The WHO reported more than 14.6 million cases and nearly 12,000 deaths globally that year, half of them in Brazil.

Researchers at Stanford University estimated that climate change was responsible for 19 per cent of infections in 2024, as warming temperatures allowed Aedes mosquitoes to spread into new regions, including parts of Europe and the United States.

Brazil’s Health Minister, Alexandre Padilha, confirmed that the government has struck a deal with Chinese firm WuXi Biologics to supply around 30 million doses of Butantan-DV in the second half of 2026.

AFP