QDENGA, a vaccine for dengue manufactured by Takeda Biopharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, has received market authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). This makes it the first dengue vaccine to be approved for use in the country. The vaccine can be used in individuals aged 4 to 60, and is given in two doses, three months apart. It is designed to protect against all four dengue serotypes (variations of the virus). The company has still not announced an official price of the vaccine for India.
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About half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue, with an estimated 100–400 million infections occurring each year, according to the World Health Organization. India, which accounts for about one-third of the global burden, is one of five nations that are are among the 30 most highly endemic countries in the world when it comes to dengue.
