World's first dengue vaccine shows promising results

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World's first dengue vaccine shows promising results
The Nation 2011-06-10

BANGKOK: -- Preliminary results of clinical trials of a vaccine for haemorrhagic dengue fever in 4,000 children in Thailand have shown promising results, a Mahidol University researcher revealed Friday.

The study was started in 2009 by a team from Mahidol University, Ratchaburi Hospital and the Public Health Ministry's Disease Control Department.

The team is carrying out an efficacy study on a vaccine covering four serotypes of dengue virus on 4,000 children aged four to 11 years in Muang district, Ratchaburi province.

The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes.
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World's first dengue vaccine shows promising results
By Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation 2011-06-11

Preliminary results of clinical trials of a vaccine for haemorrhagic dengue fever in 4,000 children in Thailand have shown promising results, a Mahidol University researcher revealed yesterday.

The study was started in 2009 by a team from Mahidol University, Ratchaburi Hospital and the Public Health Ministry's Disease Control Department.

The team is carrying out an efficacy study on a vaccine covering four serotypes of dengue virus on 4,000 children aged four to 11 years in Muang district, Ratchaburi province.

The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes.

However, more study is necessary. In Ratchaburi, the study aims to establish whether the vaccine can protect from or prevent dengue fever and whether it is safe before using it on the public.

From February 2009 to March this year, the investigating team gave three vaccine shots to 4,000 children every six months. The team closely watched the patients for symptoms for 28 days and found that no participants developed adverse effects.

"The results show that it is safe," principal investigator Professor Arunee Sabchareon said.

However, she said a team of researchers reported that 73 of 4,000 participants were found to have the dengue virus after the injection.

The final results of the study, the world's first efficacy study for a dengue vaccine, are expected next year.

Arunee said that if the vaccine worked, Thailand would see a reduction in dengue patients of about 50,000 a year, with 50 lives saved and significant savings in medical expenses, insecticide expenses and other expenses.

"We have not discussed the price of the vaccine yet but I think it should be put on the national immunisation programme to protect children from dengue fever," she said.

Dengue fever is a major infectious disease in tropical countries.

In Thailand, dengue has been endemic since 1958. Dengue fever can be found in every province, city and district. A pandemic affecting 50,000 to 100,000 patients occurs every a year. Most patients are younger than 15 years. There are 50 to 150 deaths from the disease a year.