Peru expands dengue and HPV vaccination coverage in priority regions

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) updated technical regulations in Peru to increase vaccination coverage for people aged 10 to 20 years old.

This move aims to address gaps in immunization as part of prevention efforts against the El Niño phenomenon. The new rules allow health brigades to administer vaccines against dengue and the human papillomavirus (HPV) at the same time in schools. To increase access, the government is adding health service providers from EsSalud as vaccination points.

These new sites will serve people in regions including La Libertad, Lambayeque, Loreto, Piura, Tumbes, Ucayali, San Martín, Áncash, and the San Juan de Lurigancho district in Lima. The update also simplifies the process for health workers by reducing the pre-vaccination evaluation questionnaire from 15 to 11 questions. Brigades can now use both retractable and non-retractable syringes to administer the dengue vaccine.

These changes aim to speed up medical attention and ensure more supplies are available for rural and priority areas.