TAK-003 Vaccine

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced the prequalification of a second vaccine for dengue TAK-003.

This vaccine has been made by the Japanese drug maker Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
It is a live-attenuated vaccine containing weakened versions of the four serotypes of the virus that cause dengue.
This vaccine helps the body to build immunity without causing the disease.
Only two dengue vaccines have been prequalified to date.
The WHO had previously prequalified the CYD-TDV vaccine against dengue, developed by Sanofi Pasteur.
This vaccine can be given to children aged 6 to 16 years in areas with high dengue prevalence and transmission rate.
According to the WHO, the vaccine should be given in a 2-dose schedule with a 3-month interval between doses.
Countries approved the vaccine: The UK, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia and Thailand.

It means that the health agency has assessed and approved the vaccine for quality, safety, and efficacy.
It ensures that the vaccine meets international standards and can be used globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Prequalification allows the vaccine to be included in procurement by UN agencies and other global health organisations.

Dengue is a vector-borne infectious disease transmitted through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily by Aedes aegypti (Aedes aegypti) and Aedes albopictus (Aedes albopictus) mosquitoes
Dengue viruses belong to the genus Flavivirus within the family Flaviviridae. Flaviviruses are lipid-enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses.
It is estimated that there are over 100-400 million cases of dengue worldwide each year.
The largest number of dengue cases reported was in 2023 with the WHO Region of the Americas reporting 4.5 million cases and 2300 deaths.