Anmat is evaluating a Japanese vaccine that acts against the four serotypes of the pathology
PREVENTION. They are studying a vaccine that could immunize against dengue.
Tucumán is one of the provinces that has reported the most cases of dengue so far this year. There are already 27 confirmed by the Ministry of Health. But every day new patients with symptoms of the disease are added: high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting. Yesterday, teams from the Environmental Health Department together with social health agents carried out preventive tasks in the Urquiza neighborhood, where it was reported that there was a positive case of the pathology transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
It is estimated that in the coming days more and more cases will begin to be added. In the last epidemic, in 2020, Tucumán registered 7,806 cases, the highest number known. In addition, there were four deaths and 1,000 patients were hospitalized due to its seriousness.
According to reports, good news is that the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (Anmat) is evaluating the Japanese Takeda vaccine, which prevents the disease caused by the four dengue serotypes. The Japanese laboratory had requested in 2021 to approve the vaccine in our country.
Efforts have been made for a long time to develop a vaccine against this pathology. Although some options were presented, they did not turn out to be very safe. “It was difficult to get a vaccine precisely because one had to be developed that included immunization for the four serotypes,” explains the infectologist Aida Torreswho argued that this vaccine has enormous potential.
“Taking into account the current scenario, where dengue is already endemic for us, the risk for Tucumans increases every year,” explains the doctor. For example, currently the serotype of dengue that is circulating is DEN 2. In 2020, DEN 1 and DEN 4 circulated. It has been shown that patients who were already affected by a serotype, if they become infected again with another serotype the chances of developing severe dengue increase.
“This means that we have more and more Tucumans susceptible to developing severe forms of the disease. Therefore, a vaccine is very important ”, he pointed out. According to him, the investigations showed that the vaccine is effective, has a good safety profile and does not cause serious adverse events, regardless of whether or not the person has previously suffered from the infection.
Dengue epidemics usually appear every four or five years. But this time he went ahead. Why do you think this happened? we asked. “Weird things happened that have to do with the covid-19 pandemic,” she said. “A favorable ecological niche has been created for any disease to emerge. We are going to see many viruses, and in fact we are already seeing them. They reappeared and presented with more serious forms: such as the cases we treat of influenza B or pneumonia, many of which require hospitalization. It is something that attracts attention. The flu is no longer seasonal. Now we will see how dengue presents itself ”, she pointed out.
Given this panorama, he called on the population to take extreme preventive measures against dengue and also against all diseases. “The first advice I give is to get the vaccines as soon as they come out, early. In the case of the flu, it is preferable that it be quadruple ”, he concluded.
