At its recent meeting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to recommend use of a three-dose dengue vaccine for children 9 to 16 years old who live in endemic areas, such as Puerto Rico. Made by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine, Dengvaxia, protects against disease caused by all four dengue virus serotypes and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for children in this age group. Children must have laboratory confirmation of a previous dengue infection before vaccination; those who have not been previously infected are at increased risk for severe disease when vaccinated and subsequently infected with dengue virus. The three doses of the vaccine are given 6 months apart. Media coverage included stories by STAT News, MedPage Today, and Healio.
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