World Health Organization has approved a second dengue vaccine, TAK-003 (Qdenga), for use among children aged 6-16 years in places with high case burden and transmission intensity. The vaccine, developed by Japanese pharma giant Takeda, can be administered in a two-dose schedule with a three-month interval between doses .
The first dengue vaccine to be approved by WHO was Sanofi Pasteur‘s Dengvaxia.Both dengue vaccines are at present not available in India. But, sources said, Takeda is in talks with an Indian firm to launch TAK-003 (Qdenga) in the country.
Also, Panacea Biotec and Serum Institute of India – the two leading vaccine manufacturing firms in India – are collaborating to conduct human trials of an indigenous dengue vaccine that has already successfully completed initial trials.