Dengue is a global disease, and it has only been spreading.
Now, a vaccine to treate dengue has just been approved for use—in a country that desperately needs it,
Drug company Sanofi will debut its vaccine in Mexico, and is applying for approval in 20 more countries.
Dengue is spread by mosquitoes. While it causes flu-like symptoms at best, at its worst it can become a deadly form of the disease, called severe dengue or Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.
The worst part? There are four strains of the virus, but only one of them gives your lifetime immunity if you catch it.
Looking at the numbers, it’s clear this vaccine is a big deal. 400 million people are infected with dengue annually. It’s most often found in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Mexico has faced several dengue outbreaks in recent years.
The treatment is called Dengvaxia, and it’s approved in Mexico for all four dengue viruses, but only for patients between the ages of 9 and 45.
This vaccine is not approved for young children, who are most at risk, or for tourists.
It’s best, says Sanofi representatives, as an immune booster for patients who have already been exposed.
“Mexico is one of the countries where we started our clinical trials, which has been associated with the program from the very beginning and whose regulatory authority is certified by the WHO, says Olivier Charmiel of Senofi.
The vaccine reportedly reduced the risk of hospitalization by 80%, and reduced the risk of developing the most severe form by 93%.
Senofi hopes to make the dengue vaccine one of their top three products, hoping to achieve the WHO goal of reducing dengue mortality by 50%.
