What causes Dengue Fever?
(Dengue Virus) DENV-1 DENV-2 DENV-3 and DENV-4 Dengue fever is caused by the Dengue Virus, which comprises four strains: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.Symptoms of dengue fever
The symptoms of dengue fever vary from person to person, but the most common ones are:
Dengue hemorrhagic fever. In addition to having the same symptoms as dengue fever, there are other symptoms which are the hallmark signs of this disease:
- Acute high fever above 38 degrees Celsius or up to 40-41 degrees Celsius. In some cases, seizures may occur, especially in children with history of seizures.
- Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite
- Facial flushing, small red blotches or spots on the skin, or bleeding in other areas such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, blood in urine, bloody stools.
- Severe abdominal pain and tenderness in the right rib area
- In very severe cases, after several days of fever, the patient may develop circulatory failure or shock and enter a stage called Dengue Shock Syndrome. Symptoms include restlessness, cold fingers and toes, decreased urine output, drastic drop in temperature, decreased blood pressure, and no pulse can be measured.
- (Melena) In severe cases, vomiting and bloody stool may occur, usually black (Melena). Most gastrointestinal bleeding symptoms are found in conjunction with shock.
- Some people may experience enlarged liver, tenderness, usually enlarged liver can be inspected around Day 3-4 counting from when the illness started. The liver will be tender and pain is felt when pressure is applied.
- For patients without signs of shock after 2-7 days of high fever, the fever begins to subside. The circulatory system begins to normalize. Blood pressure and pulse begin to stabilize. After 2-3 days, it enters the recovery phase. The patient’s condition will improve, the fever will decrease. The patient starts to have appetite. Abdominal pain improves. At this stage, rashes and itching are often observed on the palms and soles of the feet, which will heal on their own in one week.
Groups at Risk for Dengue fever
Dengue fever can be transmitted to all genders and all age groups but people who may have increased risk of developing severe dengue fever more than the other groups include:
- Individuals who are overweight or obese
- People with underlying diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, thalassemia, blood diseases, kidney disease, etc.
- Elderly individuals, as they might have weakened immune systems and multiple underlying health conditions.
Prevent Dengue Fever with the new dengue vaccine
live-attenuated recombinant dengue2-dengue (Qdenga)
A new live-attenuated recombinant dengue2-dengue vaccine (Qdenga) made in Germany can protect against 4 strains of dengue virus.
–It can prevent dengue fever by 80.2%
–reduce hospitalization rate by 90.4%
–Injections are available for people aged 4 – 60 years, injected subcutaneously 2 doses, 3 months apart
–It can be injected in people who have had dengue fever and also for those who have not had dengue fever before.
*** For those who have had dengue fever, injections can be given 6 months after recovery.
–Immunity tests are not required before vaccination.
Promotion! Dengue Vaccine (QDenga) 2 doses 4,800 Baht (Normal price 5,600 Baht)
Price includes doctor’s fee and hospital service fee.
From 1 October – 31 December 2023
*The hospital reserves the right to change terms and conditions without prior notice.
Side effects of the new dengue vaccine
The side effects of the vaccine are only general side effects, such as pain at the vaccination site, headache, muscle pain, and usually resolve on its own within 1-3 days.
How does the new dengue vaccine different from the previous dengue vaccine?
There are two types of dengue vaccines available in Thailand, namely Dengvaxia and Qdenga. This makes the indications, efficacy, safety of vaccines, as well as the number of doses and the spacing of each dose different.
Dengvaxia vaccine : The previous dengue vaccine made in France. It has about 65.6 % efficacy. For some people who have had dengue vaccine can still be re-infected by dengue virus. However, research has shown that the vaccine can reduce the occurrence of severe dengue fever and reduce hospitalization rate by about 80.8% Only people aged 6-45 years and people who have been infected with dengue fever before can be vaccinated. If there is no confirmed history of dengue fever, a blood test is required before vaccination.
Dosage: 3 doses 6 months apart (Months 0, 6 and 12)
*Since this vaccine is a live-attenuated vaccine, it is not suitable for people with certain medical conditions, people who receive immunosuppressants and chemotherapy, people with HIV, people with impaired immunity, including pregnant women.
Qdenga vaccine: a new dengue vaccine made in Germany It has a high efficacy rate of 80.2% and a 90.4% effectiveness in preventing hospitalization. This vaccine can be given to people aged 4-60 years old. It can be given to those who already had dengue fever and to those who have not had dengue fever before. It can also be administered without requiring a blood test before vaccination. For vaccination
For Vaccine Administration
Dosage: Only 2 doses 3 months apart (at month 0 and 3)
Contraindications for Dengue Vaccine
Since dengue vaccine is a live-attenuated vaccine, it cannot be administered to individuals as follows:
- Individuals with severe hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine or hypersensitivity to any vaccine containing the same substances, as well as those who have exhibited hypersensitivity to a previous dose of the dengue fever vaccine.
- Individuals with congenital or acquired cellular cellular immunodeficiency, including those receiving immunosuppressive treatments such as chemotherapy or high-dose systemic corticosteroids within a period of 4 weeks prior to vaccination.
- Individuals with symptomatic HIV or subclinical HIV infection with evidence of immunodeficiency function
- Pregnant women
- Breastfeeding women
