A new vaccine against dengue fever has recently been approved in Austria. This requires two more partial vaccinations. Brazilian scientists have now published positive results about a vaccine that only needs to be administered once.
It is a live vaccine made from viruses that have been weakened by genetic modification. The Butantan Institute of the Brazilian State in São Paulo has now published the exact biennial results of its research in the “New England Journal of Medicine”. A total of 16,235 people between the ages of two and 59 participated. More than 10,000 of them received the vaccine, the rest a placebo.
Protects up to 90 percent
It showed that the protection rate for 18 to 59 year olds was 90 percent. The vaccine was slightly less effective in children. Moreover, effectiveness was higher for dengue viruses of subtype 1 (89.5 percent) than for those of subtype 2 (69.6 percent). Disease cases caused by subtypes 3 and 4 have not been observed. The scientists said the vaccine has proven safe, both in people who have already recovered from the disease and in those without a vaccine.
Dengue fever, which is spread by tiger mosquitoes and yellow fever mosquitoes, among others, is especially widespread in Southeast Asia and Latin America. There are approximately 390 million cases and up to 50,000 deaths worldwide. Brazil is currently experiencing a serious outbreak. In the first four weeks of the year, the South American country recorded 217,841 probable cases, three times as many cases as in the same period in 2023.
Must be reported in Austria
Possible symptoms include painful muscles and joints, severe headache, vomiting and sudden high fever. In Austria, the tropical disease must be reported. A vaccine with two partial shots has been approved since the end of 2022, but there is currently no general recommendation for travelers to endemic areas.
The scientists in Brazil hope that their vaccine will be approved in 2025. They assume that the vaccine is also effective against viruses of subtypes 3 and 4.
Source: Krone
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