vaccination

Sanofi launches dengue immunisation program in Brazil

pharmafile | August 15, 2016 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing Brazil, Sanofi, Sanofi Pasteur, Vaccine, dengue, immunisation, vaccines 

Sanofi has announced that it has initiated the first dengue immunisation public program in the Americas, with 500,000 individuals set to receive Dengvaxia dengue vaccine over the next three weeks.

The program will first reach people in the Paraná state of Brazil. Home to 10 million people, 55,000 cases of dengue were reported, costing the state around €91 million in related healthcare expenses.

Michele Caputo Neto, Paraná health secretary, comments: “For the public immunisation program being launched today, we have used our extensive dengue surveillance data to ensure that we are targeting people at highest risk of disease. We will vaccinate all individuals 15-27 years of age in 28 municipalities and 9-44 years of age in the two municipalities with the top dengue burden in our State over the next three weeks.”

Sanofi, along with its specialised vaccines unit Sanofi Pasteur, launched the world’s first dengue immunisation program recently in the Philippines. Recent studies have confirmed the vaccine’s consistent efficacy in reducing dengue due to all four serotypes. It has also been shown to prevent 8 out of 10 hospitalisations and up to 93% of severe dengue cases in those aged 9 and above.

Guillaume Leroy, of Sanofi Pasteur, says: “Introduction of the dengue vaccine first in endemic countries like Brazil has always been Sanofi Pasteur’s priority because this is where the vaccine can have the greatest impact on disease burden globally. Furthermore, successful implementation of Dengvaxia in a large-scale public program in Paraná will serve as a benchmark for dengue prevention efforts elsewhere in the country and in the world.”

Sean Murray

Related Content

Sanofi shares results for phase 3 LUNA 3 trial in immune thrombocytopenia

Sanofi has announced positive results from its phase 3 LUNA 3 study, which assessed rilzabrutinib …

Merck plans to conduct trials for HPV vaccines

Merck, known as MSD outside of the US and Canada, has announced that it is …

Sanofi shares phase 2b results for dermatitis treatment

Sanofi has shared positive results from part 2 of the investigational phase 2b STREAM-AD study …

Latest content