Takeda UK Ltd. announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted marketing authorisation for Qdenga (Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine [Live, Attenuated]), for active immunisation against dengue infection in individuals from four years of age. Qdenga® is currently the only approved vaccine in the UK for the prevention of dengue fever regardless of previous dengue exposure.
Dengue is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne virus[v] and was recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019 as one of the top ten threats to global health [ii],[vi]. An estimated 3.9 billion people around the globe – about half of the world's population – are currently at risk of dengue[iii] and it is now endemic in more than 125 countries[iii], causing an estimated 390 million infections[vii] and 500,000 hospitalisations each year[viii]. Nearly 5 million (4.6) UK travellers visit dengue endemic regions every year[ix] and dengue is second only to Malaria as a diagnosed cause of fever among travellers returning to Europe[iv].
Dr. George Kassianos, a specialist in immunisations, said, "Although the UK is not an endemic country, more than 800 UK holidaymakers had their trips ruined by dengue before the pandemic, according to the ECDC, with all reported cases imported from endemic territories. Most people with dengue will not have any symptoms, some will have a mild illness with flu-like symptoms, while rarely others may go on to have a more severe form of the infection. Dengue symptoms usually last for up to seven days, so the impact for those who contract the infection while travelling abroad can be substantial. With this in mind, a pre-travel vaccination that provides an additional precautionary option to most travellers, in addition to following effective mosquito bite prevention, should be welcomed."
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