Dengue Vaccines, the Best Available Precaution Option For Dengue Fever

 

Dengue vaccines are used to prevent dengue fever in humans. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. These vaccines are only recommended for those who previously had dengue fever. As of now, only one vaccine is available commercially, known as CYD-TDV, under the brand name Dengvaxia (developed by Sanofi Pasteur). In May 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Dengvaxia, the first vaccine for the prevention of dengue disease in people ages 9 through 16 who have laboratory-confirmed previous dengue infection and who live in endemic areas.

Dengue is usually transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito). These mosquitoes are also vectors of Zika viruses, yellow fever, and chikungunya. Symptoms of dengue include vomiting, skin rashes, anemia, diarrhea, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, and high fever. Severe dengue may lead to death, coma, seizures, or yellow skin. Moreover, it may cause various complications in the neurology. There are various reasons underlying the clinical occurrence of dengue that require multimodal and effective treatment approaches. Dengue vaccines are considered the best available precaution option for dengue.

Many dengue vaccines currently under clinical trial have shown promising effects, such as TDENV, TVDV, TV005, TV003, and TVD. Those who are infected second time are at a higher risk of developing severe disease. In severe cases, it can be life threatening and thus require hospital care. Warning signs of severe dengue occur in the late febrile phase around the time of defervescence, which include progressive increase in hematocrit, liver enlargement, postural hypotension, lethargy/restlessness, difficulty in breathing, mucosal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, and fluid accumulation.

Safe, effective, and affordable dengue vaccines would represent a major advance for the control of the disease and could be an important tool for reducing morbidity and mortality.