Mexico Joins Philippines, Brazil With Dengue Vaccine

MEXICO CITY, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -10th Sept,2016) - While the world awaits a Zika vaccine, the first ever injection against dengue fever is spreading, with Mexico becoming next week the latest country where people can get the shot.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is presenting its Dengvaxia vaccine to doctors at an event in eastern Mexico on Saturday, while people aged nine to 45 will be able to get the shot from their physicians from Monday.

After public programs were launched in the Philippines and Brazil's state of Parana this year, the company is rolling out the vaccine in the private sector in Mexico while health authorities prepare a public immunization plan.

The head of Sanofi's dengue program, Guillaume Leroy, told AFP in Mexico City that the company already has one million doses ready in the country. Leroy said it was difficult to estimate how much the vaccine will cost in Mexico as it will depend on the distribution networks and the public vaccination program.

The mosquito-borne virus costs governments around the world $18 billion a year, Leroy said. "We estimate that in Mexico and in other countries that the benefits will outweigh the costs of the (vaccine) intervention," he said.