To date, no vaccine against dengue fever was authorised in Switzerland. At the end of July 2024, Swissmedic authorised the vaccine Qdenga, from manufacturer Takeda Pharma AG, after assessing its efficacy, safety and quality.
The vaccine is authorised for people aged 4 years and older who are travelling to regions in which dengue fever is prevalent. These primarily include subtropical and tropical regions in Central Africa, Latin America, India and Southeast Asia. The disease is also present in the south of the USA (Texas).
Qdenga helps to protect against dengue fever. The vaccine can be administered to adults, adolescents and children aged 4 years and older. It contains attenuated (weakened) versions of dengue virus variants 1, 2, 3 and 4. They cannot cause the disease but trigger the immune system (the body's natural defences) to defend the body against the virus. When a person receives the vaccine, their immune system recognises the attenuated variants as being foreign and forms antibodies against them. When they come into contact with the virus again, the body rapidly produces more antibodies to neutralise it before the person contracts dengue fever.
Dengue fever is a viral disease that is spread by infected mosquitoes (mainly yellow fever mosquitoes and Asian tiger mosquitoes). It usually develops between four and seven days after the person is bitten. Symptoms include fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea or vomiting, swollen glands and rash.