Contents:
- Medical Video: Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)
- Get to know the Dengvaxia® brand DHF vaccine
- What about this DBD vaccine distribution permit?
- Who can get a DHF vaccine?
- When should this vaccine be given?
- Where can I get immunizations?
- Can the Dengvaxia® vaccine stop the spread of dengue?
Medical Video: Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)
Three billion people are at risk of suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). This makes DHF one of the viral infections transmitted through the most influential mosquitoes in the world, where there are 390 million dengue infections every year.
Indonesia is the second largest country with dengue cases after Brazil. This disease also caused huge economic losses for Indonesia. This loss is estimated to reach 300 million US dollars (US) or 3.9 trillion rupiah per year.
Seeing the fact above, the need for dengue vaccine is becoming increasingly urgent and researchers continue to try to make vaccines against dengue virus. Finally, after 20 years of research, the DHF vaccine was successfully made and approved by the World Health Organization or WHO in 2015.
Get to know the Dengvaxia® brand DHF vaccine
The DHF vaccine that was successfully produced and tested by Sanofi Pasteur is known as Dengvaxia®. This vaccine is the first dengue vaccine in the world. For 20 years, Dengvaxia® has undergone 25 clinical trials spread across 15 countries in the world. There are already tens of thousands of study participants undergoing clinical trials of this dengue vaccine.
A study of the efficacy of Dengvaxia® in children around 9 years old concluded that this vaccine was effective in preventing infection with four types of dengue virus with a success rate of up to 66 percent. The research was published in the 2015 New England Journal of Medicine.
This study also shows that Dengvaxia® DHF vaccine can reduce the possibility of DHF patients in hospitalization (hospitalization). In addition, Dengvaxia® can prevent dengue virus infection from getting worse in patients.
What about this DBD vaccine distribution permit?
Dengvaxia® was approved by WHO at the end of 2015. Mexico became the first country to allow this vaccine. Don't worry, this dengue vaccine has finished undergoing phase III clinical trials to ensure its safety and efficacy. In Southeast Asia itself phase III clinical trials have been completed in 2017.
In Indonesia alone, the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has granted distribution authorization for Dengvaxia® since September 2016. This means that Indonesia is the second country to approve the use of dengue vaccine. Until 2017, there have been a total of eleven countries that permit the circulation of the Dengvaxia® vaccine. Among them are the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Honduras, Singapore and Colombia.
Who can get a DHF vaccine?
This vaccine may be given to children from the age of 9 years. While children under the age of 9 have not been recommended to undergo dengue fever immunization with this vaccine. According to the study, the provision of dengue vaccine in children under 9 years of age, especially those aged 2-5 years, actually provides a risk of hospitalization and a greater risk of infection with dengue.
Children who have been infected with dengue also need to be given this vaccine. Because the child is not likely to be infected by the four types of dengue virus at the same time. The problem is, if a child suffers from dengue hemorrhagic fever by one type, then the child may still be infected with dengue by other types of dengue virus.
When should this vaccine be given?
Giving the dengue vaccine will be optimal if given at the age of 9 to 16 years three times with the distance of each immunization which is six months. Vaccines can be given anytime between the ages of 9 and 16 years.
Where can I get immunizations?
Currently the dengue fever vaccine has not been included in the government program. So to get it for free at the Puskesmas is still not possible. You can get a dengue fever in a hospital or a certain pediatrician's practice.
The Dengvaxia® vaccine is priced at approximately one million rupiah for one immunization. Whereas dengue fever immunization must be done three times. These prices are indeed expensive, but certainly much cheaper than the costs to be incurred if the child is hospitalized due to dengue.
Can the Dengvaxia® vaccine stop the spread of dengue?
WHO recommends that dengue endemic areas, one of which is Indonesia, immediately give the dengue fever vaccine in full. Provision of vaccines is expected to be able to prevent the spread of disease. WHO targets that by 2020, the morbidity rate can be reduced by 25 percent. The death rate is also believed to be reduced by 50 percent.
However, achieving this target is certainly not easy. Good cooperation between the community and the government is needed. In addition to the expensive price and not yet borne by the government, extensive promotion is needed considering there are still many people who do not understand the issue of immunization, especially the dengue vaccine which is still relatively new. Therefore, let's share important information about this dengue fever vaccine. Besides that, don't forget to give the dengue fever vaccine to your family.
