KUALA LUMPUR: A vaccine against dengue is expected to be available in five years. University of Malaya Emeritus Professor Lam Sai Kit said this would be the cornerstone for controlling the disease in the Asia-Pacific region.
"We call on the immunisation community, public and private sectors to prepare to initiate dengue immunisation programmes as soon as a vaccine is licensed," he told the New Straits Times.
Lam chaired the Dengue v2V, a regional workshop on dengue in Singapore recently. Held from Nov 30 to Dec 2, the workshop examined the burden of dengue and provided input for the implementation of vaccination programmes once they are available. International public health experts in dengue and immunisation programmes attended the workshop.
Lam said dengue was a major health concern in the Asia-Pacific region, adding that there was a dramatic rise in cases recently and that there were no treatments available.
"There are several dengue vaccines under development, one being in the final stages of clinical development."
Last month, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi-Aventis Group, said that its dengue vaccine was in the final stages of clinical development and had entered phase three of clinical study in Australia.
This study is part of a global phase of three clinical study programmes to develop a vaccine against dengue. Phase three studies are the ultimate step in the clinical development of a vaccine before it is submitted to regulatory authorities for evaluation.
Dengue affects 220 million people across the globe annually and two million of them, especially children, are affected by the severest form of the disease -- haemorrhagic fever. There are about 21,000 deaths annually, mainly among children.
In Malaysia, health authorities have waged an aggressive battle to curb the spread of the disease, with 43,543 people infected and 128 deaths from January to Nov 29 compared with 37,278 cases and 78 deaths during the same period last year.
Read more: Anti-dengue jab ready in five years http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/18lam/Article#ixzz17fV1nQZs
"We call on the immunisation community, public and private sectors to prepare to initiate dengue immunisation programmes as soon as a vaccine is licensed," he told the New Straits Times.
Lam chaired the Dengue v2V, a regional workshop on dengue in Singapore recently. Held from Nov 30 to Dec 2, the workshop examined the burden of dengue and provided input for the implementation of vaccination programmes once they are available. International public health experts in dengue and immunisation programmes attended the workshop.
Lam said dengue was a major health concern in the Asia-Pacific region, adding that there was a dramatic rise in cases recently and that there were no treatments available.
"There are several dengue vaccines under development, one being in the final stages of clinical development."
Last month, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi-Aventis Group, said that its dengue vaccine was in the final stages of clinical development and had entered phase three of clinical study in Australia.
This study is part of a global phase of three clinical study programmes to develop a vaccine against dengue. Phase three studies are the ultimate step in the clinical development of a vaccine before it is submitted to regulatory authorities for evaluation.
Dengue affects 220 million people across the globe annually and two million of them, especially children, are affected by the severest form of the disease -- haemorrhagic fever. There are about 21,000 deaths annually, mainly among children.
In Malaysia, health authorities have waged an aggressive battle to curb the spread of the disease, with 43,543 people infected and 128 deaths from January to Nov 29 compared with 37,278 cases and 78 deaths during the same period last year.
Read more: Anti-dengue jab ready in five years http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/18lam/Article#ixzz17fV1nQZs
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