Dengue Vaccine: India gets its first dengue vaccine! Know how effective is QDENGA and when will it start?

India First Dengue Vaccine Approval CDSCO: A major achievement has been achieved in the direction of dengue prevention in India. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has approved Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda’s dengue vaccine QDENGA (TAK-003). With this it has become India’s first approved dengue vaccine. This approval is considered very important at a time when every year during monsoon and thereafter dengue cases increase rapidly in the country and there is additional pressure on hospitals.

QDENGA is a live attenuated tetravalent vaccine designed to protect against all four types of dengue virus, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4. Its biggest feature is that before getting it installed, there is no need to get tested whether the person has ever had dengue before or not. This may make it easier to run a vaccination campaign on a large scale. This vaccine has already received approval in more than 40 countries including the European Union, Britain, Brazil, Indonesia and Argentina. Now India has also joined this list.

How is the vaccine given?

QDENGA is given in two doses. The second dose is given three months after the first dose. It is given through injection under the skin. WHO has also recommended its use as part of a comprehensive dengue control strategy in high dengue affected countries.

Why is it important for India?

According to the report, India bears about one-third of the total burden of dengue cases in the world. In the last two decades, more than 11 times increase in dengue cases has been recorded in the country. Till now, the main measures to prevent dengue were prevention of mosquitoes, elimination of their breeding sites, use of mosquito nets and repellents, timely testing and treatment according to symptoms. Now with the availability of the vaccine, another strong option for prevention has been added.

Who can get this vaccine?

Its final guidelines in India will be issued by CDSCO and Takeda at the time of launch. However, in other countries it is approved for both children and adults. The special thing is that it does not matter whether he has had dengue before or not. This is the reason why blood test will not be required before vaccination.

How effective is QDENGA?

The TIDES Phase-3 trial conducted on more than 20,000 children and adolescents showed encouraging results. The study, which lasted for about four and a half years, found that this vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalization due to dengue by 84 percent. Its overall effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed dengue infection was about 61 percent. It also performed well in preventing severe dengue, although its effect varied slightly according to different virus types.

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What will be the price?

At present its price has not been announced in India. However, Takeda has partnered with Biological E of Hyderabad, where about 5 crore doses can be produced every year. With the start of local production, its price is expected to remain low in future and supply will be better. It also remains to be seen whether initially it will be available only in private hospitals or later it will also become a part of the government vaccination program.

Will the risk of dengue end after vaccination?

Experts say that dengue cannot be eliminated with the help of vaccine alone. Mosquito prevention, cleanliness, not allowing water to stagnate, timely testing and awareness among people will remain as important as before. The vaccine is not an alternative to these measures, but a strong additional protective shield. If it is used extensively, the number of severe dengue cases, hospitalizations and burden on the health system can be reduced to a great extent.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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