Sanofi’s Dengvaxia has been approved for use by Singapore’s HSA
After a seven-month expedited review of the potential benefits and risks of Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengvaxia, the world’s first commercially available dengue vaccine, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has recently approved its use in the country.
The Dengvaxia vaccine, requiring three doses to be administered over 12 months by injection, was found to be effective for up to four years after the third dose against all four strains of dengue. Currently, it is approved for use only for those aged between 12 and 45.
It is currently approved for use in nine other countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil.
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine’s developer and manufacturer, conducted a total of 24 clinical studies with more than 41,000 subjects. The 24 studies reviewed include two major clinical studies conducted in Latin America and Asia on individuals between two and 16 years old, and 22 supportive studies assessing the antibody levels in individuals following vaccination.
Two groups of experts from HSA’s medical advisory committee and dengue expert panel – comprising doctors and infectious diseases specialists – were consulted during the review.
Overall, the vaccine was effective in reducing dengue illness by 60%, and reducing severe dengue illness by 84%.
The vaccine was also most effective in those who already have baseline immunity due to a previous dengue infection. It was 81% effective in those who had dengue previously, compared to 38% in those who had not been infected before.
However, the studies also showed that the vaccine is less effective against the DENV-1 and DENV-2 strains of dengue, which are the predominant strains in Singapore.
Since Singapore only has a relatively low prevalence of dengue infection compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the expert committee on immunization in the country’s Ministry of Health does not recommend rolling out Dengvaxia vaccination as a national program as it “would not be a clinically and cost-effective means to tackling dengue infection in Singapore”.
As such, there will be no subsidies or Medisave usage for those who choose to take the vaccine, MOH added.Those interested in getting the vaccine should consult their doctors on the benefits and risks of the vaccination first, said HSA.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
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