The Dengue vaccine is more than 50% effective in reducing disease cases, with a long-lasting effect and a very good safety profile. This is confirmed by the world's first meta-analysis on the efficacy of TAK-003, also known as Qdenga, the only Dengue vaccine currently approved in Italy and many European countries. Scholars from the University of Bologna and the University of Ferrara conducted the survey, which was published in the journal Vaccine. "This is the first comprehensive analysis in the world, and we are very happy with the data that emerged", says Lamberto Manzoli, director of the Alma Mater's School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, who coordinated the research. "It was not a foregone conclusion: it took many years before we got to develop a vaccine with such good results". Every year, the Dengue virus, which is transmitted by certain mosquito species, infects approximately 400 million people in the world's hottest regions, killing over 3 million people. Climate change is also expanding the habitat of mosquitos that transmit the virus, resulting in new Dengue epidemics in an increasing number of countries. The disease is also the subject of a health alert in Italy, where cases are steadily increasing. To date, there is no effective treatment for the disease, and environmental remediation actions against mosquitos do not completely eliminate the risk of epidemics. The only prevention strategy available is vaccine-related: TAK-003, also known as Qdenga, was approved in Europe in December 2022 and has demonstrated very promising results. Nevertheless, an exhaustive assessment of its safety and efficacy wasn't unavailable until recently. The scholars subsequently analyzed and cross-referenced the data of the 19 scientific studies that have been conducted to date on the vaccine in order to identify solid evidence of its efficacy in combating the disease. Overall, the cases of over 20,000 people who participated in the various tests were considered, even more than a year after the last administration, both with a single dose and both doses required for full vaccination. The results show that the vaccine reduces the risk of contracting the disease by more than 50% while maintaining a high level of safety. More than 90% of those who received both doses developed Dengue antibodies, and the response was equally positive among those who received only one dose: more than 70% of adults and more than 90% of children and adolescents developed antibodies.
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