As the Ministry of Public Health expect Dengue Fever cases to grow by over 16 percent this year, news has broke that a new vaccine against the virus is now on the path to registration in Thailand.
The Food and Drugs Administration is currently considering registration of the vaccine against four different strains of the virus, said Jarung Muangchana, director of the National Vaccine Institute.
“If the vaccine registration is approved, it will gain acceptance for legal use nationwide,” he said.
This vaccine has already been registered in the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil, reports the Bangkok Post, and although is proven to only be 60 percent effective, is still an important tool in the fight against Dengue.
In the cases where the vaccine did not work in completely eliminating Dengue, 80 percent of patients still saw its virility lessened.
Thailand has been desperate for a Dengue vaccine with 140,000 cases of Dengue fever reported last year and a growth rate of 16 percent expected this year. It’s thought that the number of cases could topple the so-called ‘mega-outbreak’ of the virus back in 1987 where 170,000 cases were reported.
126 deaths have been recorded from Dengue, according to Channel News Asia, with the most prominent being actor Thrisadee ‘Por’ Sahawong, who recently passed after suffering from a series of Dengue-related complications.
Pockets of Bangkok are known to have recorded a high number of cases of the disease, including Watthana in the Sukhumvit neighbourhood.
“More people are moving to the capital and that’s why it’s worse there than in the provinces or small towns. It’s spreading because of urbanization and a lack of mosquito control,” said Dr. Duangporn Pinsrilesikul from the Health Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Symptoms of Dengue Fever include fever, aching joints and a rash. Remember to consult a doctor immediately if you suspect you may have the disease.
Check out our tips for avoiding Dengue Fever on Sukhumvit.
Featured image is by CDC Global Health and used under a Creative Commons licence
