Brazilian authorities on Wednesday approved the world’s first single-dose vaccine against dengue fever, a move hailed by Brazil as a “historic” breakthrough.
Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) authorized the use of the Butantan-DV vaccine, developed by the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, for individuals aged between 12 and 59.
Until now, the only dengue vaccine available worldwide was TAK-003, which requires two doses administered three months apart, according to the World Health Organization.
The new single-dose vaccine is expected to significantly speed up and simplify mass vaccination campaigns.
Speaking at a press conference in São Paulo, Butantan Institute Director Esper Kallas said, “This is a historic achievement in science and public health in Brazil.”
He added, “It has now become possible to fight a disease that has affected us for decades with an extremely powerful weapon.”
Health Minister Alexandre Padilha announced that Brazil has reached an agreement with the Chinese company WuXi to supply around 30 million doses in the second half of 2026.
The new vaccine was tested on more than 16,000 volunteers across 14 Brazilian states over an eight-year period and demonstrated an efficacy rate of 91.6% against the most severe form of the disease.
Dengue fever, which is transmitted to humans by the tiger mosquito, can cause high fever, headaches, muscle pain, nausea, and skin rashes, and in rare cases may be fatal.
Last year, Brazil recorded more than 6,000 deaths from dengue fever—nearly half of all dengue-related deaths reported worldwide.
