Headline: Panama Bides Time for Effective Dengue Vaccine, Despite Regional Use
In a region where dengue vaccinations are already underway, Panama is exercising caution, awaiting a vaccine that offers high protection against all four virus serotypes. While Costa Rica has opted to delay purchase of the vaccine pending further studies, Honduras plans to begin administering it to children aged 6 to 16 in early 2025.
Blas Armien, head of Epidemiology at Panama’s Ministry of Health, acknowledged the availability of several vaccines but stated that current evidence does not guarantee their effectiveness against the four serotypes circulating in the country. "We’re looking for a vaccine that’s at least 90 to 95% effective against all four serotypes," Armien said, adding that Panama will await recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) before proceeding.
Almost four decades after dengue reemerged, total eradication may not be feasible, but Armien pointed out that previous outbreaks were successfully eliminated. As of May 2024, the WHO had approved two dengue vaccines: CYD-TDV by Sanofi Pasteur and TAK-003 by Takeda.
Latest figures and trends in Panama
Dengue cases in Panama surpassed 30,000 by early December 2024, with the Metro region being the most affected. Since the start of the year, 2,539 individuals have been hospitalized, with 52% of these cases occurring in the Metro, Panama Oeste, and Colón regions. The total death toll remains at 50, with Colón, Panama Metro, and Panama Norte accounting for the majority of fatalities. Elderly individuals aged over 65 have been particularly vulnerable.
Despite these numbers, a downward trend has been observed since week 33 (August 11-17), with all four virus serotypes circulating during 13 weeks and three serotypes circulating during 26 weeks. The corregimiento of Las Garzas in Panama Este has reported the most cases, followed by 24 de Diciembre (also in Panama Este) and Ernesto Córdoba in Panama Norte. It’s estimated that one in four infected individuals will develop symptoms.
