&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;New Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga) in Kuala Lumpur and Penang (Malaysia)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;In recent years, dengue fever has become a significant public health concern in Malaysia, as we experience high transmission rates due to its tropical climate and urban density. In February 2024, the Takeda company received conditional approval from the Drug Control Authority (DCA) for its dengue vaccine, Qdenga. This vaccine will be part of Malaysia&amp;rsquo;s effort to achieve zero deaths in dengue patients by 2030.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot; data-preserver-spaces=&quot;true&quot;&gt;What is Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga)?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Qdenga contains attenuated versions of the 4 virus serotypes (1, 2, 3, and 4). These viruses cannot cause disease but can trigger the immune system (the body&amp;rsquo;s natural defense) to defend against the virus. The vaccine aims to reduce incidents of dengue fever and severe dengue cases, which can lead to hospitalization or even death.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Efficacy and Safety of Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga) has undergone extensive clinical trials to assess its efficacy and safety. Here are some key points:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Efficacy:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Clinical trials have demonstrated that Qdenga effectively prevents dengue fever caused by all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). The vaccine has shown promising results in reducing both symptomatic and severe forms of the disease.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety Profile:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The vaccine has been shown to have a favourable safety profile. Common side effects include injection site pain (50%), headache (35%), myalgia (31%), injection site erythema (27%), malaise (24%), asthenia (20%), and fever (11%). These side effects usually occur within 2 days of the injection and are mild to moderate in severity. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Duration of Protection:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Data from clinical studies suggest that Qdenga protects for several years, although ongoing studies evaluate the long-term duration of vaccine-induced immunity.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dosage of Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Qdenga is given as a subcutaneous (SC) injection in a two-dose schedule (0 and 3 months). Each injection consists of 0.5 ml of solutions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;This vaccine can be taken for individuals from 4 years old onwards, regardless of any previous dengue infection (according to currently available data).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who should not take Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot; data-preserver-spaces=&quot;true&quot;&gt;Individuals with hypersensitivity to the active substances or any of the excipients&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Individuals with congenital or acquired immune deficiency, including immunosuppressive therapies such as chemotherapy or high doses of systemic corticosteroids within 4 weeks before vaccination, as with other live attenuated vaccines.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Individuals with symptomatic HIV infection or with evidence of impaired immune function.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Pregnant women&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Breast-feeding women&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The introduction of Qdenga has several implications for public health in Malaysia&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reduction in Dengue Cases:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;By effectively vaccinating and achieving herd immunization, Malaysia hopes to reduce the number of dengue cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. This would ease the burden on healthcare systems and improve overall public health.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enhanced Community Protection:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Widespread vaccination can contribute to herd immunity, reducing the overall transmission of the dengue virus within communities and protecting those who are unvaccinated or at higher risk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Dengue Vaccine in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur & Penang)

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