(Image source from: Canva.com)

Brazilian officials announced on Wednesday the approval of the first-ever single-dose dengue vaccine in the world, celebrating it as a significant milestone as cases of this mosquito-transmitted illness rise across the globe due to higher temperatures. Dengue, which is characterized by severe flu-like symptoms, extreme tiredness, and body pain, hit unprecedented levels worldwide in 2024, with scientists linking its growth to climate change. The health agency of Brazil, ANVISA, has given the green light to Butantan-DV, created by the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, for individuals aged between 12 and 59. At present, the only dengue vaccine accessible around the world is TAK-003, which necessitates two doses given three months apart, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This new single-dose vaccine, developed following eight years of research in Brazil, will facilitate quicker and easier vaccination efforts. "This is a momentous achievement for science and public health in Brazil,” stated Esper Kallas, director of the Butantan Institute, during a press briefing in Sao Paulo. "A disease that has troubled us for many years can now be tackled with a very effective tool," he continued. During the clinical trials, the new vaccine demonstrated a 91.6 percent effectiveness against severe dengue, involving over 16,000 participants.

The unpleasant effects of dengue have led to it being referred to as "breakbone fever." In serious instances, it can lead to hemorrhagic fever and even fatalities. The disease is spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes, which have begun to expand into areas where they typically did not thrive, resulting in dengue occurrences in Europe and parts of the United States. On a global scale, the WHO reported over 14.6 million dengue cases and nearly 12,000 deaths in 2024, marking the highest figures ever documented. Brazil accounted for half of these fatalities. Researchers from Stanford University in the United States published a report in 2024 estimating that global warming caused 19 percent of the dengue cases that year. Brazil has struck a deal with the Chinese firm WuXi Biologics to supply around 30 million doses of the vaccine in the latter half of 2026, as stated by Health Minister Alexandre Padilha at the press briefing.