Brazil has approved the world’s first single-dose vaccine against dengue fever — Butantan-DV. Developed by the Butantan Institute, it is effective after one dose and shows 91.6% protection against severe forms of the disease. The trials lasted eight years and involved more than 16,000 people.
Unlike existing vaccines such as TAK-003, which require two injections spaced several months apart, Butantan-DV provides protection after just one dose. That makes mass vaccination much easier and faster, especially in countries with a high risk of infection and in settings with limited resources. Dengue fever, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, affected 14.6 million people in 2024, and nearly 12,000 died. Half of those deaths were in Brazil.
Large-scale production of the vaccine is planned from 2026. Vaccination with a single dose could significantly speed up the build-up of herd immunity and protect millions of people.
