Within the framework of the historic dengue outbreak that continues to affect the country since the end of July 2023, where more than 180 thousand infections have already been recorded (of which 90 percent correspond to indigenous cases) and 129 deaths, prevention against this The disease remains in the center of controversy: lack of repellents and vaccination are the issues over which the national government and some provinces clash.
Regarding vaccination, specialists indicate that in this case, its application turns out to be a tool that reduces the severity of the infection and the risks of hospitalization. But the problem is accessibility due to stock and costs.
In April of last year, the National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) authorized the use of the dengue vaccine developed by the Japanese laboratory Takeda for all people over 4 years of age, whether or not they have previously had the disease.
Called TAK-003, the vaccine is based on the dengue 2 virus, to which DNA from the other three serotypes is added to protect against any of the four types of dengue. One of the great advantages of this vaccine is that it can be applied to people who have already had dengue disease, who are at risk of developing more severe symptoms, since when someone is cured of this disease, they are immune to it. type of virus that infected her, but not the remaining three. The risk of contracting severe dengue increases if you become infected a second time with another serotype that can cause serious bleeding.
In just four months (the vaccine arrived in Argentina in November 2023), each dose went from costing 37,500 pesos to 70,842 pesos.
Although there is no specific confirmation about the reason for the increase, it is presumed that it is related to the devaluation and that it is manufactured entirely abroad, some pharmacies indicated.
“The number of people who are receiving the dengue vaccine in pharmacies has greatly increased. Above all, those who have already had the disease or family members who, seeing how bad they have had it, seek to prevent themselves with the vaccine and protect themselves with the permanent use of repellent. Luckily there is stock of the vaccine,” commented pharmacist and graduate María Isabel Reinoso, former president of the College of Pharmacists of the Province of Buenos Aires.
COVERAGE OF SOCIAL WORKS
According to Reinoso, the social and prepaid works that cover the vaccine cover between 40 and 50 percent of the value of each dose, depending on the plan the member has. That is, the coverage is in the percentage that the person or family group has contracted their drug coverage. “In short, vaccines are medicines, only instead of curing they prevent diseases,” he defined.
The specialists consulted indicated that the vaccine is suitable for immunizing against dengue type 1, 2, 3 and 4 and has an effect for five years. The scheme consists of two doses that must be applied at an interval of three months, after which protection is achieved. It is administered by subcutaneous injection, preferably in the upper arm.
“The social and prepaid works that cover the vaccine cover between 40% and 50% of each dose”
Unless there is a medical contraindication, anyone over the age of four, regardless of whether or not they have previously had dengue, can receive the vaccine with a doctor’s prescription.
As it is a live attenuated virus vaccine, it is not recommended to administer it to pregnant and lactating women, as well as to immunosuppressed individuals.
Repellents
“The demand for repellents in pharmacies is very high, to the point that it is critical. As a pharmacist from the Conurbano I can give you a vision of what happened this last week: we dispense both cosmetic line repellents and medicinal laboratories and many pharmacies have also prepared their own repellents to be able to cover the great demand that exists in recent weeks. . On the one hand there is the wave of mosquitoes that occurred after the many days of rain we had and on the other hand the increase in dengue cases that make people need these products. Stocks are very critical. That is to say, the few units that drugstores provide us are not enough to supply the great demand,” Reinoso explained.
Regarding the values of these products, the pharmacist commented that “they vary according to the size and form in which they are marketed, that is, whether it is a gel, cream, lotion, vaporizer or aerosol. Prices range between 3,000 and 9,000 pesos depending on size, pharmaceutical form and formulation (components, concentration and duration on the skin).”
Prevention
Preventing the proliferation of mosquitoes is the best way to prevent the spread of dengue. In this sense, specialists indicate that any surface that can accumulate water in homes must be cleaned: flower pots, pots, gutters and vehicle wheels, among others.
Placing mosquito nets on doors and windows, in addition to using spirals and topical repellents are other options to prevent the mosquito from biting and infecting people.
“The number of people receiving the dengue vaccine has greatly increased”
2024-04-03 05:07:16
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