Dengvaxia® Vaccine Available in Singapore
4 October 2016
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1. The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia® has been approved by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for the prevention of dengue disease caused by dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4 in individuals aged 12 to 45 years.
2. Dengvaxia® works like a “booster” that is more effective in protecting individuals who already have baseline immunity due to a previous dengue infection. It is more effective in countries where there is high prevalence of dengue. The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend that countries implement a national vaccination programme using Dengvaxia® when the population to be vaccinated has a prevalence of previous dengue infection below 50 percent.
3. Singapore has relatively low prevalence of dengue infection[1] compared to other Southeast Asian countries. For this reason, the vaccine will be less effective here. The Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Expert Committee on Immunisation[2] does not recommend rolling out Dengvaxia® vaccination as a national programme as it would not be a clinically and cost-effective means to tackling dengue infection in Singapore. However, individuals who wish to be vaccinated with Dengvaxia® should have access to the vaccine, in consultation with their doctor.
4. MOH has accepted the Expert Committee’s recommendation. As Dengvaxia® will not be part of a national vaccination programme, subsidies and Medisave usage for Dengvaxia® will not be available.
5. MOH will advise doctors on the use of Dengvaxia® and HSA will continue to monitor its safety and use. Individuals should consult their doctor if they wish to find out more about their suitability for Dengvaxia®.
[1] HSA’s approved age range for Dengvaxia® is 12 to 45 years. Singapore’s prevalence of dengue infection is about 10% for persons aged below 18 years; 20% to 40% for persons aged 18 to 40 years. It is only higher than 50% for those above 40.
[2] The ECI advises MOH and reviews strategies for the control of vaccine preventable diseases through immunization. It comprises specialists from disciplines including infectious diseases, microbiology, paediatrics and public health, as well as representatives from both the public and private healthcare institutions.