Brazil launches mass vaccination

Brazil launched a dengue fever immunisation campaign Friday, becoming the first country in the world to provide the vaccine through its public health system as it deals with a surge in cases.

Health authorities registered more than 395,000 likely cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the first five weeks of the year. At least 53 people have died in the current outbreak.

"Even without the current epidemic we would have started this vaccination campaign, because dengue is a long-standing health problem," health minister Nisia Trindade told journalists.

The vaccine, known as Qdenga, is produced by Japanese pharmaceutical firm Takeda.