India has initiated its first vaccination campaign to prevent dengue. This pilot project began in the village of Kadhiyanalur, located in the Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu state. Health Minister K.G. Arunradja stated that the vaccine will be administered in two doses with a three-month interval and is capable of providing 80% protection against dengue, preventing severe symptoms of the disease.
According to The Indian Express, this campaign is currently only a pilot project, and full-scale vaccination is not yet planned. The future vaccination schedule will be determined based on the results of this project. To better understand this announcement, it is important to know how dengue spreads and how this vaccine works.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bites of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Symptoms include high fever, headache, and pain behind the eyes. In some patients, the disease can progress severely, causing a drop in platelet count and shock syndrome, which can lead to death. Dengue cases and fatalities are recorded annually in India. Until recently, there were no vaccines available to prevent this disease, but several months ago, the Japanese company Takeda received approval for the Qdenga vaccine for use in India.
The Qdenga vaccine is designed to protect against four strains of the dengue virus. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) approved it for people aged 4 to 60 years. It is claimed that this vaccine can protect against dengue up to 80% and also help prevent serious consequences of the disease after administration.
The vaccine contains highly attenuated forms of the dengue virus. These viruses cause a condition similar to an infection but not the disease in a healthy person. The body recognizes these weak viruses and begins to produce antibodies against them. After the antibodies are formed, if the virus attempts to attack the body, the antibodies recognize and destroy it.