A vaccine to fight dengue fever
Dengue fever often attacks tropical climates, such as Indonesia. Because of the high number of dengue cases, many researchers are trying to develop the most effective vaccine to prevent this disease. However, dengue vaccine still has some shortcomings.
Dengue fever is a disease caused by dengue virus. This disease is transmitted by mosquito bites. Dengue fever usually occurs in the rainy season. Indeed, heavy rain allows mosquitoes to reproduce properly.
DHF has many symptoms, such as high fever, rash, bone or muscle pain, and headaches in the back of the eye. In severe cases, bleeding can also occur and be life threatening. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 20,000 people die each year from dengue fever.
Get to know the dengue vaccine
The vaccine available for dengue is the CYD-TDV (Dengvaxia) vaccine. This vaccine contains a weakened tetravalent dengue virus. Tetravalent means that the vaccine can be immunized against four types of dengue virus in circulation, namely dengue virus serotype 1 - 4. This vaccine has been given marketing permission in several countries. dengue fever is endemic and is usually four to six months old.
Efficacy and conditions for giving dengue vaccine
Before deciding to give the dengue vaccine to prevent dengue fever, you need to know something about the dengue vaccine:
1. Safer for children over 9 years and adults
Data from several clinical studies show a reduction in the risk of severe dengue fever (requiring hospitalization) in children vaccinated over nine years. However, if the dengue vaccine is given to children under the age of nine years, it can increase the risk of contracting severe dengue fever.
Therefore, this dengue vaccine is only recommended for people aged 9 to 45 years.
2. Only effective in certain groups
The dengue vaccine has been proven to be quite safe and effective for people who have been infected with the dengue virus. But, it increases the risk of dengue in people who have never been infected with the dengue virus.
WHO therefore recommends that countries wishing to use this vaccine have an accurate screening system or rapid detection of dengue infection. This is to prevent people who have never been infected with the dengue virus from being vaccinated.
But in reality, it is not easy to determine whether someone has suffered from dengue fever or not. Indeed, sometimes, dengue does not show any typical symptoms or even no symptoms, so a person may not know whether he has been infected with dengue virus or not.
3. Does not provide complete deterrence
The dengue vaccine provides adequate protection for those who have had dengue fever. However, this protection is not total. In some cases, people with dengue can still experience it, even if they have received the vaccine.
4. The price is expensive
In Indonesia, the dengue vaccine is still a new vaccine. The price range of this vaccine is quite expensive, around 1 million for each injection dose (the recommended dose of the dengue vaccine is three times the injection).
Therefore, you must prepare a high enough cost to get this vaccine. In addition, the availability of dengue vaccine is still limited and can only be obtained at hospitals or private pediatricians.
Current dengue vaccine can reduce the risk of dengue virus infection in countries with high dengue fever rates. But this can only be achieved if the vaccine is used properly.
The dengue vaccine is only recommended if the benefits are considered to be greater than the risks. Therefore, you should consult your doctor first if you want to get vaccinated against dengue fever, to make sure you deserve a vaccine.
You must also remember that efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and prevent mosquito bites remain a major step in preventing dengue fever. Vaccination alone without this effort will not be effective in preventing dengue fever.
Use closed clothing if you are in a place where there are a lot of mosquitoes, or use mosquito lotion. Also be sure to regularly empty a container of water and a dry puddle in your home environment so that mosquitoes cannot nest.
Dengue fever is a disease caused by dengue virus. This disease is transmitted by mosquito bites. Dengue fever usually occurs in the rainy season. Indeed, heavy rain allows mosquitoes to reproduce properly.
Get to know the dengue vaccine
The vaccine available for dengue is the CYD-TDV (Dengvaxia) vaccine. This vaccine contains a weakened tetravalent dengue virus. Tetravalent means that the vaccine can be immunized against four types of dengue virus in circulation, namely dengue virus serotype 1 - 4. This vaccine has been given marketing permission in several countries. dengue fever is endemic and is usually four to six months old.
Efficacy and conditions for giving dengue vaccine
Before deciding to give the dengue vaccine to prevent dengue fever, you need to know something about the dengue vaccine:
1. Safer for children over 9 years and adults
Data from several clinical studies show a reduction in the risk of severe dengue fever (requiring hospitalization) in children vaccinated over nine years. However, if the dengue vaccine is given to children under the age of nine years, it can increase the risk of contracting severe dengue fever.
Therefore, this dengue vaccine is only recommended for people aged 9 to 45 years.
2. Only effective in certain groups
The dengue vaccine has been proven to be quite safe and effective for people who have been infected with the dengue virus. But, it increases the risk of dengue in people who have never been infected with the dengue virus.
WHO therefore recommends that countries wishing to use this vaccine have an accurate screening system or rapid detection of dengue infection. This is to prevent people who have never been infected with the dengue virus from being vaccinated.
But in reality, it is not easy to determine whether someone has suffered from dengue fever or not. Indeed, sometimes, dengue does not show any typical symptoms or even no symptoms, so a person may not know whether he has been infected with dengue virus or not.
3. Does not provide complete deterrence
The dengue vaccine provides adequate protection for those who have had dengue fever. However, this protection is not total. In some cases, people with dengue can still experience it, even if they have received the vaccine.
4. The price is expensive
In Indonesia, the dengue vaccine is still a new vaccine. The price range of this vaccine is quite expensive, around 1 million for each injection dose (the recommended dose of the dengue vaccine is three times the injection).
Therefore, you must prepare a high enough cost to get this vaccine. In addition, the availability of dengue vaccine is still limited and can only be obtained at hospitals or private pediatricians.
Current dengue vaccine can reduce the risk of dengue virus infection in countries with high dengue fever rates. But this can only be achieved if the vaccine is used properly.
The dengue vaccine is only recommended if the benefits are considered to be greater than the risks. Therefore, you should consult your doctor first if you want to get vaccinated against dengue fever, to make sure you deserve a vaccine.
You must also remember that efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and prevent mosquito bites remain a major step in preventing dengue fever. Vaccination alone without this effort will not be effective in preventing dengue fever.
Use closed clothing if you are in a place where there are a lot of mosquitoes, or use mosquito lotion. Also be sure to regularly empty a container of water and a dry puddle in your home environment so that mosquitoes cannot nest.
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