Peru expands dengue vaccination to youth in Lima districts

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) expanded its dengue vaccination strategy in Lima Metropolitana to include people between 10 and 20 years old in the districts of Carabayllo and San Juan de Lurigancho.

The health ministry is targeting residents of these specific areas to protect populations at high risk of transmission. In Carabayllo, the Integrated Health Networks Directorate of Lima Norte began vaccination sessions at the Institución Educativa N.° 3058 Virgen de Fátima.

This first stage aims to vaccinate 1000 students across two locations within the jurisdiction of the Raúl Porras Barrenechea Health Center. The decision to focus on these areas follows data from the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Control of Diseases (CDC Perú). The center reported that Carabayllo recorded 98 confirmed dengue cases among children aged 10 to 15 by week 42 of 2026.

In San Juan de Lurigancho, the ministry is extending the vaccination program from the Huáscar sector to cover the entire district. Yuri Alegre Palomino, the executive director of the Prevention and Control of Arboviruses and Zoonoses Directorate, stated that the ministry prioritizes areas heavily affected in previous years. While these urban centers receive expanded coverage, the ministry also continues vaccination efforts in regions such as La Libertad, Áncash, Piura, Tumbes, Lambayeque, San Martín, Loreto, and Ucayali.

Authorities advise citizens to combine the vaccine with personal prevention measures like covering water containers and removing mosquito breeding sites.