Brazil approves world’s first single-dose dengue vaccine

Brazil has approved the world’s first single-dose dengue vaccine, a landmark development as global cases continue to rise.

The vaccine, Butantan-DV, developed by the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, received authorization from Brazil’s health regulator ANVISA for people aged 12 to 59. Experts called the move “historic” for public health in the country.

Currently, the only other dengue vaccine, TAK-003, requires two doses three months apart. The single-dose formulation, developed after eight years of clinical trials involving over 16,000 volunteers, allows for faster and simpler vaccination campaigns.

During trials, Butantan-DV demonstrated 91.6 percent efficacy against severe dengue, a disease notorious for intense flu-like symptoms, extreme fatigue, and in severe cases, hemorrhagic fever or death.

Dengue is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes, which are spreading to new regions due to climate change, causing outbreaks even in parts of Europe and the United States. Globally, the World Health Organization recorded more than 14.6 million cases and nearly 12,000 deaths in 2024, half of them in Brazil.

“The vaccine is a powerful weapon against a disease that has plagued us for decades,” said Esper Kallas, director of the Butantan Institute.

Brazil has partnered with Chinese firm WuXi Biologics to deliver approximately 30 million doses by the second half of 2026, Health Minister Alexandre Padilha confirmed, marking a major step in the fight against dengue.