Singapore Hosts First Dengue v2V Asia-Pacific Workshop to Pave the Way for Dengue Vaccine Introduction

- International experts develop a road map for the implementation of dengue vaccination programmes for the control of dengue fever

Dengue v2V, a group of international public health experts in dengue and immunisation programmes, held its first regional workshop in Singapore from 30 November to 2 December 2010 to discuss the pathway for supportive public health policy for the introduction of a dengue vaccine in the Asia-Pacific region. The

Dengue is a major public health concern throughout the Asia-Pacific region with over 2 billion people at risk, a recent dramatic rise in the number of cases, and no specific treatments currently available. There are several dengue vaccines in development, one being in final stage of clinical development (Phase 3).(1),(2)

"A dengue vaccine is widely anticipated to be the cornerstone of controlling dengue in the Asia-Pacific region. Yet, vaccination programmes are complex to implement and it is critical that we anticipate the challenges ahead of us," said Professor Sai Kit Lam from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, and Chairman of the Dengue v2V initiative. "We call on the immunisation community, public and private sector to prepare to initiate dengue immunisation programmes as soon as a vaccine is licensed."

Road map to dengue vaccination

The Dengue v2V workshop in Singapore looked at the evidence, potential vaccination strategies and tools that need to be in place for guiding the introduction of a dengue vaccine (once available).

The main steps in the path from dengue vaccine to vaccination include:

-- Establishing accurate burden and cost of disease

-- Cost-benefit analysis of a vaccine according to the true disease epidemiology and predictive modelling

-- Developing vaccine introduction strategies tailored to each country's national immunisation programme

-- Ensuring programme sustainability through ongoing monitoring of safety and effectiveness

Experts, policymakers and public health officials from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Australia, France and the USA drew on their experiences with dengue and their national immunisation programmes to propose solutions to dengue vaccine introduction.

About dengue fever

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus, of which there are four serotypes. The disease is found throughout equatorial regions and is a potential threat to almost half of the world's population. Of the estimated 220 million people infected with dengue annually, two million, mostly children, develop dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), a severe form of the disease and 21,000 will die.(3) DHF is also a leading cause of hospitalisation, placing tremendous pressure on strained medical resources and having a heavy economic and societal impact. Many factors have contributed to a recent dramatic rise in dengue fever cases including urbanisation and increased travel.

About the Dengue v2V initiative

Dengue v2V is a scientific forum committed to ensuring that future dengue vaccines, once licensed, are readily introduced into the vaccination programmes of countries where dengue is a public health priority. The name, Dengue v2V, reflects its fundamental objective of supporting the transition from vaccine to vaccination. Dengue v2V was established in June 2009 and is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from sanofi pasteur.(4)

For more information on dengue and Dengue v2V please email [email protected].

1. Lang J. Recent progress on sanofi pasteur's dengue vaccine candidate. J Clin Virol 2009;46(S2):S20-S24

2. Sanofi Pasteur's dengue vaccine in final stage of clinical development - first Phase 3 study underway in Australia. Accessible at: http://www.sanofipasteur.com/sanofi-pasteur2/front/index.jsp?siteCode=SP_CORP&codePage=PAG_34_PR14&lang=EN&codeRubrique=34

3. PDVI Newsletter No. 7, April 2010. Accessible at http://www.pdvi.org/PDVI_newsletter/newsletter.asp

4. Lam SK. Dengue v2V - New global initiative supporting transition from vaccine to vaccination. Vaccine 2010;28:2060-1

SOURCE: Dengue v2V

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