Vaccinations against Dengue to begin in Rome
Rome, Italy – The administration of vaccinations against Dengue will begin tomorrow, February 20th at the Inmi Spallanzani in Rome. The vaccine is not meant for everyone, but for specific populations at risk, according to the Institute.
The vaccine is recommended for people who have previously had an infection with the Dengue virus and are planning to travel to endemic areas, as well as for individuals who will be staying for extended periods in highly endemic countries, regardless of prior Dengue infection.
The methods for administering the vaccine will be provided by the INMI in the coming days.
AIFA approved Takeda’s Dengue vaccine last year, making it the only one available in Italy. According to Alessandra Fionda, head of medical and regulatory management at Takeda Italia, the overall efficacy of the live attenuated vaccine against Dengue is 80% 12 months after the second dose. It also shows a 90% efficacy against hospitalizations at 18 months, and a 61.2% effectiveness in preventing the disease and an 84.1% effectiveness in preventing hospitalization at four and a half years.
Takeda’s Qdenga vaccine underwent development through 19 studies on 28 thousand patients residing in both endemic and non-endemic areas for the disease. The vaccine can be administered to all subjects over 4 years of age and involves two subcutaneous doses, administered at least three months apart. Importantly, the vaccine can be administered regardless of HIV status, without the need for a pre-vaccination test.
The availability of the vaccine is currently in specialized vaccination centers for tropical diseases, subject to procurement by the regions, or in travel clinics specializing in travel diseases.
The start of the vaccinations against Dengue in Rome is a critical step in protecting at-risk populations and preventing the spread of the disease.