The Ministry of Health announced this Friday (3) that it will ask the National Commission for the Integration of Technologies in the Unified Health System (Conitec), to evaluate the Qdenga vaccine, approved Thursday (2) by the National Health Surveillance Agency.

The vaccine, developed by the Japanese laboratory Takeda, is the first approved in the country for the age group of 4 to 60 years, regardless of previous exposure to the dengue virus.

In this evaluation, Conitec will take into account the benefits and safety of the vaccine for the population, in addition to the ability of SUS to offer it to patients. Based on the opinion of the Commission, based on scientific evidence and social factors, the Ministry of Health will decide whether the new vaccine will be offered through the public network.

In an interview with g1 and to GloboNews, Takeda’s executive director of medical affairs in Brazil, Dr. Vivian Lee, said the company expects the vaccine to reach private clinics in Brazil in the second half of this year. The company will wait for the end of the discussions, at the Ministry of Health, to define the prices of the vaccines.

The Qdenga vaccine has been shown in clinical trials to have an overall efficacy of 80.2% against dengue fever caused by any serotype after 12 months of the second dose. The vaccine also reduced hospitalizations by 90%.

According to the laboratory, 28,000 children and adults participated in the tests in countries where the dengue virus circulates. In Brazil, clinical trials took place in four cities, with approximately 1,800 volunteers aged 4 to 16. The vaccine is produced in a factory in Germany.