The Qdenga vaccine, manufactured by Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceuticals, will be the first dengue fever vaccine launched in the Vietnamese market in September this year.
Vietnam Vaccine JSC and Takeda Pharmaceuticals signed a memorandum of understanding last year to import vaccines.
The vaccine is for children aged four and older and is given in two injections three months apart. It is effective in over 80 percent of cases against all four dengue virus groups.
The Qdenga vaccine has been approved for circulation in 30 countries, including European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
According to the Ministry of Health, the country recorded over 3,000 dengue fever cases in the last week, bringing the total number of cases to 52,957 this year.
Since the beginning of the year, Hanoi has seen 2,050 cases of dengue fever. The figure is 10,000 in Haiphong City and 906 in the central province of Quang Binh.
The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has witnessed a sharp increase in cases since late July, with more than 1,400 infections reported.
Meanwhile, hospitals in major cities, including Hanoi’s Bạch Mai Hospital, are overwhelmed with severe cases.
The current hot weather, accompanied by frequent rain in many localities, has offered favourable conditions for the development of dengue fever.
