Argentina Launches Aggressive Dengue Prevention Program with 500,000 Vaccines

As summer approaches in the Southern Hemisphere and mosquito-transmitted diseases peak, the Argentine Republic has announced plans to defeat the ongoing dengue virus outbreak.

According to Argentina's Epidemiological Bulletin week #35, posted on September 9, 2024, 764,901 dengue cases and over 400 related deaths have been reported nationwide, with 56,435 cases in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires this year. 

To protect its 12 million citizens, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires (GCBA) recently announced the purchase of 500,000 Takeda QDENGA® (TAK-003), two-dose dengue vaccines to mitigate the impact of a possible dengue outbreak during the 2024-2025 summer season, when mosquito activity increases.

The GCBA revealed to Infobae on September 9, 2024, that "in order not to lose the appropriate time window for vaccination, the City has decided to initially purchase 60,000 vaccines to strengthen and complement the national strategy and thus accelerate the vaccination campaign for residents."

Starting September 18, 2024, the Ministry of Health of CABA will allocate vaccine appointments. The vaccination plan will be carried out progressively for all people between 15 and 39 years old.

The national dengue vaccination strategy was announced in May 2024. The annual plan has been developed in four phases: from July to September, from October to December, from January, and from February to June.

Each stage has specific actions that target different aspects of dengue prevention and control. This regionalization is required as Argentina is a vast country with various climates.

These stages include the regions of Northwest and Northeast Argentina, which include the provinces of Catamarca, Chaco, Corrientes, La Rioja, Misiones, Salta, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán.

Argentina's dengue vaccination program is essential for its 44 million residents and international visitors. About 6 million people visited Argentina in 2023, many of them in Buenos Aires, a prime tourist destination for the Americas.

In addition to dengue, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pre-departure travel vaccinations against chikungunya (Valneva SE's IXCHIQ®), typhoid, and yellow fever.

These diseases have U.S. FDA-approved vaccines available in the U.S., but the Qdenga vaccine is not.

"While Qdenga is unavailable in the U.S., you may find getting vaccinated beneficial if you stay in Argentina for longer than three months. This second generation dengue vaccine is a two-dose schedule three months apart," says Duellyn Pandis, DNP, APRN, FNP-C.

"This vaccine contains weakened versions of dengue virus serotypes (varieties) 1, 2, 3, and 4. Which will provide you protection."

"The mosquito, Aedes Egypti, also carries diseases such as Zika and vaccine-preventable Chikungunya," added Pandis, the CEO of Passport Health of Tampa Bay, a travel vaccine clinic. "Vaccines should be administered at least one month before travel to receive the maximum protection from disease."