Research will decide how dengue vaccine can be used safely, says Padilha

The vaccine is considered by experts and health authorities as an important tool for controlling dengue fever in the country. Heat and rain create a favorable scenario for the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and, consequently, for an increase in infection. El Niño will enhance these conditions.

On June 8, the ministry announced the interruption of the use of Butantan-DV in the SUS (Unified Health System).

The temporary decision occurred after the identification of 42 episodes of more severe adverse reactions, which were temporally associated with the moment of application of the vaccine.

"Experts are investigating in detail these 42 people whether they have any clinical condition, any reason [that provoked the reactions]. Based on this investigation, it will be defined how the vaccine can be used safely for the population", says the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha.

Padilha spoke to the reporter this Monday morning (6), during the Health Forum promoted by Amcham Brasil (American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil). The event brought together executives from the main companies in the sector to discuss the challenges of regulation, innovation and access to healthcare in the country.

At the opening, the minister highlighted Brazil's potential in the health sector. He cited dengue fever and the climate crisis as decisive issues for global health and public health.

"The climate crisis is above all a public health crisis. One in every 12 hospitals has paralyzed its activities due to the climate tragedy. This is the report we presented with the World Health Organization at COP30. Diseases appear in regions that did not exist due to climate change."

Alexandre Padilha said that it is not possible to know when the investigations into the serious reactions associated with Butantan-DV will be completed, but he hopes it will happen as quickly as possible.

"The Butantan Institute is part of this evaluation and will return to Anvisa what it found in relation to this. In parallel, the Ministry of Health composed a panel of experts to think and organize scenarios, depending on the result. It may be that this investigation signals that the vaccine should be restricted to a certain public or region", explains Padilha.

In June, in parallel with the suspension of Butantan-DV, the Ministry of Health had officially purchased 18 million doses of the dengue vaccine (Qdenga) from the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. The agreement guarantees the immunizer for the SUS until 2027.

Doses will continue to be available to children and adolescents aged 10 to 14. According to Alexandre Padilha, more than 8 million young people have already been vaccinated with Qdenga.

MEASLES

Questioned by Folha de S.Paulo, the Minister of Health stated that the five cases of measles recently registered in the north of São Paulo have a direct link with Bolivia, a country that also faces outbreaks of the disease.

In 2025, Brazil reported 38 cases of measles, according to the minister. "These 38 imported cases only did not spread due to our vaccination effort. We are reinforcing the partnership with the city halls of São Paulo and Guarulhos and the state network."

On Thursday (2), residents of both municipalities received alerts from the Ministry of Health on their cell phones to get vaccinated against measles. The message said that vaccination reduces the risk of measles transmission and highlighted that the vaccine is free and available on the SUS for everyone between 6 months and 59 years old.

Alexandre Padilha stated that the recertification as a measles-free country that Brazil achieved in 2024 is not threatened.