Dr. Aishwarya R, Consultant – Infectious Diseases, Aster RV Hospital, Bangalore
India has essentially approved QDENGA (TAK-003) and it feels like a big step forward in the country’s ongoing effort against dengue, a mosquito spread viral disease that shows up in millions each year. Made by Takeda, QDENGA is actually the first dengue vaccine approved in India, and it’s meant to offer protection for all four dengue virus serotypes, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.
This approval covers people from 4 to 60 years old, and it’s delivered in two shots, with a gap of three months between them. Also, there’s no requirement for pre-shot blood tests or similar things, before vaccination. In simple terms, the vaccine “teaches” the immune system to identify and respond to the dengue virus, before it turns into a serious illness. It encourages the making of protective antibodies plus immune cells, so if someone is exposed later, the body can react quicker and with more strength.
This matters a lot since catching one dengue serotype does not give protection against the other three, and then later infections can, in some cases, raise the likelihood of severe dengue. And because it helps lower the risk of serious disease, ICU-like hospitalizations, and dengue related complications, QDENGA could reduce the strain on families and hospitals, especially when seasonal surges happen. The vaccine has shown 80% reduction in symptomatic dengue and 90% reduction in hospitalisation over the year following vaccination, with effects lasting till 4.5 years. This being a live vaccine is not recommended in pregnancy or patients on immunosuppression medications.
Still, vaccination should act as an addition, not a swap, for prevention steps like removing mosquito breeding areas, using insect repellents, wearing protective clothes, and getting medical help promptly when symptoms appear, such as fever that won’t quit, strong headache, or bleeding.
