Dengue Defense Gets a Boost

If you are planning visits to certain countries in the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued Travel Alerts regarding Dengue virus outbreaks.

Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. And Dengue has become common in about 100 countries around the world, says the CDC.

While the CDC suggests various ways to avoid dengue-carrying mosquitoes in these countries, such as using an EPA-registered insect repellent and sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net, preventive vaccines can add another layer of defense.

Currently, the CDC suggests the Dengvaxia vaccine for certain people who have completed a diagnostic test.

And soon, another type of dengue vaccine may be approved for use.

On May 22, 2021, Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Company announced its dengue vaccine candidate (TAK-003)  demonstrated continued protection against dengue illness and hospitalization, regardless of an individual’s previous dengue exposure.

TAK-003 was found generally well tolerated, and there were no important safety risks observed. This clinical study’s results reinforce the potential of TAK-003 to help protect those living in or traveling to dengue-endemic countries.

“Our dengue vaccine candidate continued to protect against dengue throughout three years and was especially robust in preventing hospitalization,” commented Derek Wallace, VP, Dengue Global Program Leader at Takeda, in a related press release.

Takeda's TAK-003 is a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate, preventing dengue fever caused by any of the four serotypes of the dengue virus that causes dengue. TAK-003 is based on a live-attenuated dengue serotype two virus, which provides the genetic “backbone” for all four dengue serotypes.

Takeda Pharmaceutical is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Osaka, Japan. For more information, visit Takeda Vaccines.

Maps of Dengue outbreak countries can be found at these CDC webpages: the Americas, and Asia-Pacific Islands.  

Vax-Before-Travel publishes research-based travel vaccine news.