Mexico unveils world's first approved dengue vaccine

 

Mexico unveiled the world`s first approved dengue vaccine, saying the treatment is 60.5 % effective against dengue and 93.2 % effective against severe dengue.

The approval followed two years of clinical trials worldwide on more than 40,000 patients, including Mexicans, the health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"This vaccine can prevent more than 8,000 hospitalisations, 104 deaths annually, and save 1.1 billion pesos ($64 million) each year in reduced costs tied to medical attention," the statement said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), "nearly 40 percent of the world`s population (3.9 billion people) is at risk of contracting dengue."

 

Around 400 million people in more than 128 countries are infected with the mosquito-borne virus each year.

In Mexico, a total of 32,100 cases were registered last year, including 8,668 cases of severe dengue, which cost the country over 3.2 billion pesos ($187 million).