The status and need for a safe and affordable dengue vaccine in India. Report from the PlantVaccine project

Abstract

Dengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, with an estimated 50 million infections occurring annually. Dengue infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and lead to adverse social and economic impacts in many developing tropical countries. Dengue is a matter of much concern in India, where dengue is now re-emerging as one of the most important public health problems. Currently no vaccine has been licensed. The PlantVaccine project aims to develop a plant based vaccine candidate for dengue fever. This report reviews the status of and need for a dengue vaccine, easy accessibility and affordability, and overall social and economic implications of such a vaccine development in India.