Why in News?

India has approved QDENGA (TAK-003) as its first approved dengue vaccine. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted market authorisation for the vaccine, marking a major milestone in India’s fight against dengue.

Key Highlights

Vaccine Name: QDENGA (TAK-003)
Developer: Takeda Biopharmaceuticals (Japan)
Approved by: Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)
Approval Year: 2026
Eligible Age Group: 4–60 years
Type: Live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine
Number of Doses: 2 doses
Interval: 3 months between doses
Pre-vaccination dengue testing: Not required.

What is QDENGA?

QDENGA is a live attenuated (weakened) tetravalent vaccine that provides protection against all four serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4).

It is designed to reduce:

Symptomatic dengue infection
Severe dengue
Dengue-related hospitalisation.

Why is it Significant?

First approved dengue vaccine in India.
Offers protection against all four dengue virus serotypes.
Can be administered irrespective of previous dengue infection.
Expected to reduce severe illness and hospital admissions.
Strengthens India’s public health response to increasing dengue cases.

About Dengue

Cause: Dengue virus (Flavivirus)
Vector: Female Aedes aegypti mosquito (also Aedes albopictus)
Transmission: Mosquito bite
Virus Serotypes: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4

Common Symptoms

High fever
Severe headache
Pain behind the eyes
Muscle and joint pain
Skin rash
Nausea and vomiting

Severe Dengue

May cause:

Internal bleeding
Plasma leakage
Organ failure
Shock (Dengue Shock Syndrome)

Why is a Dengue Vaccine Difficult to Develop?

Dengue has four different serotypes.
Infection with one serotype gives lifelong immunity only against that serotype.
A second infection with another serotype can increase the risk of severe disease due to Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE).
Therefore, a vaccine must provide balanced protection against all four serotypes.

Effectiveness

Clinical studies showed that QDENGA:

Reduced laboratory-confirmed dengue infections by about 80%.
Reduced dengue-related hospitalisation by over 90%.

Important Points for Exams

India’s first approved dengue vaccine: QDENGA (TAK-003)
Developer: Takeda (Japan)
Approved by: DCGI
Age group: 4–60 years
Schedule: Two doses, three months apart
Protects against: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4
Type: Live attenuated tetravalent vaccine
Vector of dengue: Female Aedes aegypti mosquito
Testing before vaccination: Not required

Practice MCQs

1. QDENGA, recently seen in the news, is related to:

(A) Malaria
(B) Dengue
(C) Chikungunya
(D) Japanese Encephalitis

Answer: (B)

2. QDENGA protects against:

(A) One dengue virus serotype
(B) Two dengue virus serotypes
(C) Three dengue virus serotypes
(D) Four dengue virus serotypes

Answer: (D)

3. QDENGA was developed by:

(A) Bharat Biotech
(B) Serum Institute of India
(C) Takeda Biopharmaceuticals
(D) Moderna

Answer: (C)

4. Dengue is transmitted by:

(A) Anopheles mosquito
(B) Culex mosquito
(C) Female Aedes aegypti mosquito
(D) Sandfly