Latin American health authorities expand dengue prevention and vaccination initiatives

Mexico’s health officials and the Mexican Association of Vaccinology have formally requested President Claudia Sheinbaum to add the dengue vaccine to the national Universal Vaccination Program, citing rising case numbers, climate‑driven expansion of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and simultaneous circulation of all four dengue serotypes. The proposal emphasizes vaccinating children aged 6‑11 in high‑incidence municipalities and notes that a dengue vaccine received regulatory approval in late 2025 and could be available shortly.

In the state of Veracruz, authorities trained newly appointed neighborhood presidents in Papantla on community‑level vector‑control methods to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. In Nuevo Chimbote, Peru, health brigades faced resistance from nearly a thousand households that barred entry, hindering larval‑source inspections.

Colombian health services reported low coverage of the dengue vaccine in Neiva, with only 15 % of targeted nine‑year‑olds immunized, and conducted community outreach to improve uptake. In Honduras, the central district of Tegucigalpa recorded a 10 % rise in dengue cases and urged citizens to remove standing water from containers.

Overall, coordinated vaccination drives, vector‑control training, and public‑awareness campaigns across the region aim to curb dengue transmission, reduce severe cases and lessen the disease’s health‑care burden.