Is There a Vaccine Against Dengue? Updates on Prevention Measures and Treatment

Given the increase in dengue cases, many alarms went off. From the Ministry of Health of the Nation, they reinforced the messages of care and prevention, but many people go further and ask themselves: Is there a vaccine against dengue?

Daniela Hozbor, member of the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet) at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, explained that, although the formulation of serums against dengue is complex, there are already some in the world: “One was developed by the company Sanofi Pasteur, in France, and has already been authorized in some countries. It can be applied from the age of nine as long as people have had a previous infection and live in places with dengue circulation. The vaccine has three doses and prevents the disease caused by the four serotypes of the virus.

“There is another, developed later by the Japanese Takeda laboratory, which also has all four serotypes. The results of this vaccine showed that it can be applied to people who have not previously had the infection and it consists of two doses, ”he added.

According to Ricardo Teijeiro, a member of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), this Takeda vaccine is being evaluated by the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (Anmat) and its approval, scheduled for the end of this year or early next year. , would be very important since it is the first vaccine with its characteristics.

From the Anmat they confirmed the data to THE NATION: “The Takeda laboratory’s dengue vaccine is under evaluation and the product is expected to be authorized shortlythey said. However, they could not provide details regarding the time needed for it to be available. Meanwhile, the Japanese company preferred not to make statements when asked by this medium.

For his part, Jorge Geffner, professor of the Department of Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), said that In Argentina we are not using or producing vaccines against dengue, because there are still no highly and indisputably safe and effective vaccines in the world. “In some of the approved ones, you have to be somewhat careful because if you are vaccinated and you contract a second infection, that second infection may be more severe than if you had not been vaccinated,” he said.

According to Geffner, the great difficulty with the dengue vaccine is that it has to give an effective response against four types of the virus. That’s why, The most important message to convey at this time is that of prevention. “Use repellent and clothing that covers us, dispose of debris, clean and fumigate”he pointed.

Along the same lines, Hozbor said that vaccines are not the only preventive measure. There are others, which are, fundamentally, to avoid the formation of mosquito breeding sites and bites.

In fact, the Ministry of Health of the Nation said that The most important dengue and chikungunya prevention measure is the elimination of all mosquito breeding sites.. That is to say, of all the containers that contain water, both inside the houses and in their surroundings. “It is also advisable to place mosquito netting on the drain grates and it should not be forgotten that the mosquito adheres its eggs to the walls of the containers, so in addition to changing the water, it is necessary to brush the inside of the walls to remove them,” pointed out.

To avoid mosquito bite Temples of the Egyptians, which is the vector of dengue as well as the chikungunya and zika virus, experts recommend using repellent always following the instructions on the package, wearing long-sleeved clothing and light colors, protecting babies (who cannot use repellent) with nets or tulles on cribs and strollers, have mosquito nets on doors and windows of homes and use environmental repellents such as tablets, sprays or spirals.

Regarding fumigation, the Ministry of Health stated that it only serves to eliminate adult mosquitoes as long as they come into contact with the insecticide at the time it is applied. It has no residual power and neither does it eliminate immature forms of the mosquito (eggs, larvae and pupae), so it is not enough to control these diseases if breeding sites for new insects are not eliminated.

The Ministry of Health of the Nation reported that from last August to the last 25, 16,143 cases of dengue in the country, with virus circulation in 14 jurisdictions: Buenos Aires, the city, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, Corrientes, Formosa, Chaco, Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and La Rioja. In addition, they detailed that there were 13 deaths.

Regarding the treatment, Teijeiro said that it is symptomatic and that there is no standard indication. “It will depend on the characteristics of the disease that the patient has, they are not all the same. Some have small symptoms that are treated with painkillers such as paracetamol, but other patients require other assistance. For this reason, it is essential to say that determining the diagnosis and the treatment to follow is the responsibility of the doctor, ”he explained.

From the Ministry of Health they agreed. “Treatment is symptomatic and depends on the severity of the condition and the history of the person affected by the disease. For fever and pain, within the treatment of mild symptoms, paracetamol is usually used, but this should always be consulted with health professionals beforehand. The consumption of ibuprofen, aspirin, diclofenac or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory is not recommended as it aggravates the condition. It is essential to maintain a good hydration of the patient and carry out a strict medical follow-up daily or every 48 hours and make people and their cohabitants aware of the alarm signs and symptoms to quickly go to a health institution.

In addition, they recalled that the symptoms of dengue are: fever accompanied by pain behind the eyes, head, muscles and joints, nausea and vomiting, intense fatigue, appearance of spots on the skin and itching, and/or bleeding from the nose and gums.

“The most important thing is early medical consultation and careGeffner finished.