The provincial government launched a campaign against dengue on Wednesday that includes vaccinating people who have already contracted the virus at least once to prevent a new case from leading to severe symptoms of the disease.
The Buenos Aires Minister of Health, Nicolás Kreplak, specified that some 500 thousand doses were purchased from the Takeda laboratory, whose immunization was approved by Anmat last year in Argentina.
The vaccination campaign, which will begin in October, will target those people who developed the disease during the 2023-2024 season, who are between 15 and 59 years old, a priority population of 80 thousand people.
Through the Mi Salud Digital app, registration will be enabled for those who meet the criteria mentioned above and do not receive the invitation to get vaccinated.
In addition, it was announced that IOMA will cover 30% of the cost of the vaccine for all affiliated people who are not part of the priority population for which the serum is intended. Starting in October, they will be able to go to any pharmacy in the network without an appointment or medical order.
What do you need to know about the vaccine?
1. It is available in Argentina since November 2023 after being approved by Anmat in April 2023.
2. It is indicated for the prevention of the disease caused by the four serotypes of dengue in all people over 4 years of age, without age limit.
3. The complete regimen includes two doses separated by 3 months. It is important to mention that two weeks after the first application, an immune response through antibodies begins to be observed.
4. It showed that the application of the two doses of the vaccine achieved an 84% reduction in hospitalizations due to dengue and a 61% decrease in cases of symptomatic dengue.
5. Because it is an attenuated virus vaccine, it is contraindicated for pregnant or breastfeeding women and for immunosuppressed people. If you have any doubts, it is important to consult your doctor.
6. In addition to Argentina, the vaccine was also approved by the European Union (EMA), the United Kingdom, Iceland, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand, among other countries.
7. Its safety and efficacy are supported by an extensive clinical trial program, including the TIDES study, in which more than 20,000 volunteers participated over a 5-year period. The research was conducted in 5 dengue-endemic countries in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Panama) and 3 in Asia (Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines).
8. Adverse effects, although sporadic, were reported as pain and redness at the injection site, headache, muscle pain, general malaise and weakness. In very rare cases, fever may occur. All of these effects were transient and resolved without problems and are closely related to the mechanism of action of the vaccine.
9. Each dose costs $90,799.48. This price may include discounts depending on medical coverage.
10. Takeda is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, which concentrates its R&D efforts in four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences and Rare Diseases. It also makes R&D investments in Plasma Derived Therapies and Vaccines. (DIB)
