Dengue outbreak in Argentina
Dengue records in Argentina continue to rise. According to the Ministry of Health, cases of the disease rose by 86% compared to 2023. At least 129 people died from dengue fever, and the country recorded 163,419 cases.
The government of Javier Miley has not allowed the vaccine to be included in the national calendar because it claims that there is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness and that the vaccine used does not take effect until four months after its use – during which time the virus will not be circulating in the country due to the winter. .
In Brazil, the Qdenga vaccine has been approved by Anvisa and is already being applied to priority groups. The BBC manufacturer stated that the effectiveness of the vaccine ranges from 95.1% to 48.9%. into three subtypes. Moreover, the responsible laboratory, Takeda, indicated that for only one serotype – type 4 – no conclusion on efficacy had been reached.
Today, only four provinces in Argentina offer the vaccine for free: Mishnes, Formosa, Salta, and Corrientes (north of the country), in addition to the city of Cordoba. In the rest of the country, residents who want to be vaccinated must pay for it.
The government also stated that it will not conduct advertising campaigns to raise awareness, because the goal is to reduce expenses. On the other hand, experts say pest control services are in places where few insects are likely to breed.
