Bangladesh has the highest dengue infection and death rates in Asia relative to its population, yet the government is not yet considering formal approval of a dengue vaccine. State Minister for Health Dr M A Muhit said a vaccine is being considered as part of long-term planning, but a final decision on approval could come once the current measles situation is under control, Ekattor TV reports.
The World Health Organization recognises two dengue vaccines: Sanofi Pasteur's Dengvaxia from France and Takeda Pharmaceuticals' Qdenga from Japan. Dengue vaccines are in use in 43 countries, including India and Indonesia; Qdenga has been approved for commercial use in India.
According to the report, WHO policy requires at least 60% of people in an area to carry dengue antibodies before a national vaccination programme begins. Data from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) show antibody rates in Dhaka, the main hotspot, ranging from 24% to as high as 93% across areas between 2023 and 2026.
Professor Saifullah Munshi of the Super Specialised Hospital believes Bangladesh is well suited to a dengue vaccination programme. Even if mass vaccination cannot start now, he says, access to the vaccine should at least be made easy and open for individuals.
With hundreds dying of dengue every year and neighbouring countries moving ahead, calls to make the vaccine available quickly are growing louder, the report says.
Photo: dengue vaccine doses arriving in Brasília, Brazil, in 2024. Photo: Agência Brasília / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Ekattor TV
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