On May 10, 2024, the World Health Organization (the Organization) conducted a pre-test of the suitability of a new dengue vaccine called the TAK-003 vaccine, which is the second vaccine for this fever that the organization has pre-tested. This vaccine, developed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, is a live attenuated vaccine that contains attenuated versions of the four serotypes of the virus that causes dengue fever.
The organization recommends that the TAK-003 vaccine be given to children between the ages of 6 and 16 years in places with a high burden of dengue fever and where the fever is transmitted extensively. The vaccine should be administered as part of a two-dose vaccination schedule given 3 months apart.
Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, Director of the Organization's Product Regulation and Pretesting Department, said: “The pretesting of the TAK-003 vaccine represents an important step towards expanding access to dengue vaccines, because the vaccine is now valid and can be purchased by United Nations agencies, including “Given that there are only two pre-tested dengue vaccines to date, we are looking to bring in more vaccine developers so that the vaccines can be evaluated and thus we can ensure they are available to all communities that need them.”
The organization's list of pre-tested vaccines also includes the CYD-TDV dengue vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur.
Dengue fever is a disease transmitted by vectors represented by mosquitoes that carry the disease while biting humans. Dengue infection can also develop into severe dengue, a potentially fatal complication.
It is estimated that there are more than 100-400 million cases of dengue worldwide annually and 3.8 billion people live in endemic countries, most of them in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The largest number of dengue cases was reported in 2023, with the WHO Region of the Americas reporting 4.5 million cases and 2,300 deaths. The incidence of dengue fever is likely to increase and its spread geographically will expand due to climate change and urbanization.