Explained: No worries about dengue during the rainy season! How effective is India's first vaccine?

Dengue Vaccine QDENGA: According to the National Center for Vector-Borne Disease Control, more than 2.89 lakh cases of dengue were reported in India in 2023, and about 1,200 people died.

 

 

How effective is the new dengue vaccine?

With the first drops of rain, an unwelcome guest arrives in India: mosquitoes. These mosquitoes bring with them the deadly disease dengue, which caused 131 deaths from 1.21 lakh cases in 2025. This monsoon also brings some good news. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the country's first dengue vaccine, "Qdenga." Its most significant feature is that it will not require any pre-administration testing.

What is the Qdenga vaccine, the enemy of dengue mosquitoes?

Qudenga is developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. It is a live attenuated vaccine. This means that it contains a weakened dengue virus that is injected into the body. This virus does not cause disease. However, the body's immune system recognizes it and produces antibodies against it.

This way, whenever the actual dengue virus attacks the body, it is prepared and prevents the disease from becoming serious. Most importantly, this vaccine provides protection against all four types of dengue (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4) simultaneously. The most important feature is that there is no testing required to administer it.

How big a deal is it to get vaccinated without testing?

Until now, the current dengue vaccines available in the world required testing to confirm a patient's previous dengue history. If someone hadn't previously contracted dengue and received the vaccine, they were at risk of developing a more severe case of dengue in the future, but this concern is eliminated with Qudenga.

The company conducted large-scale clinical trials involving over 20,000 children and adults. These trials proved the vaccine to be safe even for people who have never had dengue before. This could prove to be a game-changer for a country like India, where large-scale testing is a major challenge.

How will this vaccine work and how should it be administered?

This vaccine can be administered to people between the ages of 6 and 60. It consists of two doses, with a three-month gap between them.

• After the first dose, the body develops initial protection against the virus.
• The second dose strengthens this protection for a long time.

According to trial data, the chances of hospitalisation due to dengue are reduced by 84% and the risk of infection is reduced by 61% after taking the vaccine.

How much will the Qudenga vaccine cost and when will it be available?

Takeda has not yet determined the exact price of this vaccine in India. Sources indicate that a single dose could cost between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000. The company will soon make it available in private hospitals and clinics in India. The decision on when and how it will be included in the government vaccination program is still pending.

Will this vaccine be made in India only?

Takeda has signed an agreement with Indian pharmaceutical company Zydus Lifesciences. Under this agreement, Zydus will manufacture the vaccine in India. The direct benefit of this will be that the cost of the vaccine will decrease in the future and its availability will be rapidly increased across the country. This will not only help India meet its own needs but also enable it to supply this vaccine to other countries around the world.

So will there be no deaths due to dengue now?

According to experts, this vaccine is certainly a major achievement, but it would be wrong to assume that dengue will be completely eradicated. The vaccine's purpose is to prevent dengue from becoming severe and reduce mortality. It is not a magic wand. To completely defeat dengue, mosquito control is crucial. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are equally important. However, this vaccine is a major and historic step in that direction.

How much havoc does dengue cause every year in India?

According to the National Center for Vector-Borne Disease Control, in 2023, India reported over 289,000 dengue cases and nearly 1,200 deaths. The figures were even more alarming in 2024, with over 310,000 cases and deaths exceeding 1,400. These figures highlight the significant health challenge dengue poses for India.