Brazil's healthcare regulator Anvisa is recommending that Sanofi's dengue vaccine Dengvaxia should not be taken by people who have never been infected with the virus, Reuters reported Dec. 4.
The recommendation comes after the French drugmaker revealed that the vaccine — the first-ever approved vaccine for dengue — could aggravate the disease in some people. Dengue is a potentially deadly tropical disease transmitted through mosquito bites.
Anvisa and Sanofi were not immediately available for comment to Reuters.
Recently, the Philippines government suspended the usage of the Dengvaxia and started a probe into the immunization of children who received the drug. No reported deaths related to the dengue vaccination have been reported yet.
The company is looking at the outcomes of ongoing public programs involving the vaccine. "It is important to note that the vast majority of those vaccinated to date live in high endemic settings and, therefore, will have had a prior dengue infection before vaccination," Reuters reported, citing an emailed statement from Sanofi.
Sanofi further stated that Dengvaxia's doses were generally sold in Philippines and Brazil for public health campaigns. A public vaccination program was underway in the Brazilian state of Parana, the news outlet reported, citing Sanofi.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization restated its recommendation to use Dengvaxia "as a precautionary and interim measure" and plans to make a full review of data on the vaccine by the end of 2017.
