Valuation of the Impact of Dengue Immunization in Children and Adolescents Aged 10 to 14 Years

Vaccination is an effective strategy for disease prevention, with impact on mortality reduction and excellent cost-effectiveness, as shown by the Programa Nacional de Imunizações (PNI). In children and adolescents, whose immunity is still developing, adherence to the vaccination schedule is essential for protection. However, anti-vaccine movements and the infodemic that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in decreased vaccination coverage. In 2024, Brazil faced a dengue outbreak, with the greatest increase in cases in Mato Grosso, where only 17.5% of vaccinated children and adolescents completed the vaccination schedule, revealing hesitancy. In this context, the present study seeks to evaluate the impact of immunization in the 10- to 14-year-old age group and highlight the need for strategies to increase adherence to vaccination. Ecological, descriptive, qualitative study based on secondary public-domain data extracted from systems of the Ministério da Saúde (MS), Departamento de Informática do SUS (DataSUS) and the Vaccination Panel of the Secretaria de Saúde Digital (SEIDIGI). Periods before and after the introduction of the dengue vaccine in Brazil were compared, including children and adolescents aged 10 to 14 years vaccinated between 2024 and 2025. Ethical approval was not required. According to DataSUS, the 10- to 14-year-old age group, which is the same age range authorized by the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (Anvisa) for vaccination, has the highest number of hospitalizations among children and adolescents (3.37%). The results of immunization have been promising: in 2024, with 369,621 doses administered, the hospitalization rate declined compared with previous years: 4.10% in 2022, 3.59% in 2023 and 2.89% in 2024. Death rates also decreased in the period, from 0.023% in 2022 to 0.014% in 2024. Furthermore, according to the MS, in the first two months of 2025 there was a 69.25% reduction in dengue cases in the country compared with the same period in 2024. These results are expected to encourage population adherence and, with the efforts of the MS, produce increasingly expressive impacts in subsequent years. Dengue vaccination in children and adolescents has shown positive effects in reducing hospitalization and death rates, reinforcing the importance of vaccination coverage. It is crucial to expand awareness regarding immunization and to curb vaccine hesitancy in order to contain severe cases and ensure health.