Peru launches dengue vaccination campaign as El Niño looms

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori launched a national dengue vaccination campaign in Tumbes, a northern region vulnerable to the impending El Niño phenomenon. The initiative targets children and young people aged 10 to 20, administering a two-dose vaccine.

Fujimori emphasized the campaign's role in preparing for climate changes that are already impacting sectors like fishing and agriculture. El Niño is known to raise temperatures and cause extreme rainfall, which speeds up the reproduction of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for dengue transmission. This acceleration shortens the virus's incubation period, leading to increased cases.

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We have to prepare ourselves.

Following the vaccination launch, the president visited a river cleanup site, part of efforts to mitigate flood risks. Peru has received two batches of dengue vaccines, totaling over 440,000 doses, distributed to prioritized regions, particularly in the Amazon and northern areas. Health Minister Luis Dyer confirmed that vaccinations are available in schools and health centers, with mobile brigades reaching priority zones.

The Ministry of Health also highlighted a toll-free hotline for public guidance on preventing diseases intensified by El Niño, including dengue, zika, chikungunya, leptospirosis, and respiratory illnesses. Peru's Multisectorial Commission for the Study of the El Niño Phenomenon (Enfen) has warned of a potential "extraordinary magnitude" El Niño Costero event lasting until April 2027, with a "very strong" impact expected in late 2026.

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We have already distributed the vaccines against dengue in seven regions and we are starting the vaccination. It is very important to tell parents that there are two doses. Likewise, I will begin inspections in hospitals and clinics in this city.