Deadliest virus takes wings with the onset of monsoon
The vaccine candidate is awaiting human testing and it could be years before it is ready to market. “It is too premature to discuss market launch at this stage,” said a spokesperson from Sun Pharmaceuticals, which has collaborated with ICGEB for the vaccine development.
The Indian vaccine candidate has been observed to produce nearly
100% protection against all four dengue serotypes and has minimal to no side-effects.
It is a challenge to make a vaccine against a virus because it mutates constantly.
“The scientists have to develop molecules that can act on certain parts of the virus that does not change. The process is complicated further because for dengue, it is necessary that a vaccine protect against all four strains, otherwise it may lead to severe infections,” said an official from the department of biotechnology, ministry of
Science and Technology.
“The designer recombinant virus-like-particles (in the vaccine) neutralises of all four dengue serotype without the phenomenon of Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE),” the Sun Pharma spokesperson said.
There is one dengue vaccine available across the world -Dengvaxia, developed by Sanofi
Pasteur -- that offers almost 60% protection against all four strains of dengue virus and 79% against severe dengue. The efficacy of the vaccine varies depending upon the serotype of the infection.
Dengvaxia does not have marketing approval in India.
“Unlike Dengvaxia, which offers protection to people in dengue endemic regions, the Indian vaccine candidate will offer protection to people who have not been exposed to dengue, making it useful for travellers and children,” said the official from biotechnology department.
Till there’s a vaccine against the virus, all we can do is prevent mosquito breeding and when we get fever, watch out for symptoms of complications such as breathing distress.