Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, affects millions of people every year across Asia, Africa and Latin America. And it’s expanding geographically as warmer temperatures and urban growth allow mosquito populations to thrive in new regions.
At first glance, dengue seems like an obvious candidate for vaccination. It is caused by a virus. Infection triggers an immune response. Vaccines against similar viruses already exist.
But dengue is complicated. It is not caused by just one virus, but by four closely related ones known as serotypes. When someone is infected with one, the immune system usually protects them against that specific type – but not against the other three. In some cases, a previous infection can actually make a new infection happen more easily.
Little wonder that dengue is one of the most common mosquito-borne viral diseases in the world. Scientists estimate that around 390 million infections occur every year, and it’s an important public health concern in Africa.
Currently, one dengue vaccine is established in global clinical use. Dengvaxia is only for use if a person has been infected before. A newer vaccine – TAK-003 – has been recommended by the World Health Organization for use in children aged 6–16 years in settings with high dengue transmission, regardless of prior infection status. It is administered in two doses....
from Scroll.in https://scroll.in/article/1091844/why-vaccines-may-not-be-enough-to-fight-spread-of-dengue-fever?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=public https://sc0.blr1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/article/212771-duspculraf-1775135720.jpg
via
0 Comments