India has got its first dengue vaccine with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation approving the sale of Qdenga vaccine. Banasree Purkayastha looks at its efficacy, its likely availability and how it can help combat the spread of the endemic disease in India
l What is Qdenga?
QDENGA (TAK-003) IS the first dengue vaccine approved in India for the prevention of dengue disease. It is designed to protect against all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4). The vaccine has already received regulatory approval in 42 countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and has also received World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalification.
l What is the dosage & efficacy?
THE VACCINE IS for individuals 4 to 60 years of age. The recommended immunisation schedule consists of two doses of 0.5 ml each, administered at an interval of three months. In a late-stage trial, the vaccine has shown an efficacy of 80.2% against confirmed dengue cases one year after the second dose. It also showed 90.4% efficacy against dengue-related hospitalisations after 18 months. Overall efficacy was seen across all four dengue virus serotypes through seven years.
Qdenga is a live, attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine developed using recombinant DNA technology. The vaccine is produced in Vero cells, with genes encoding serotype-specific surface proteins engineered into a dengue virus type-2 backbone. It is supplied as a freeze-dried powder for reconstitution and is administered as a subcutaneous injection.
l Who has developed this vaccine?
THE VACCINE HAS been developed by Japanese drugmaker Takeda. Qdenga is expected to be available in India in the first half of 2027, with initial availability through private healthcare settings., as per a Reuters report. Initially, it will be imported from Takeda’s unit in Germany by Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India. While the company has not officially declared the price for India, it is likely to cost Rs 3,000-6,000 per dose. Takeda has a partnership with Indian vaccine maker Biological E to boost production of Qdenga.
l Is Qdenga an improvement over others?
SINCE A DENGUE infection can be caused by any of the four virus serotypes spread by the Aedes aegypti and Ae. Albopictus mosquitoes, a second infection with a different serotype carries considerable risk as pre-existing antibodies facilitate viral entry and increase disease severity instead of providing protection against the subsequent infection. This is the fundamental problem that scientists face in developing a dengue vaccine that provide protective immunity against all four serotypes. According to a paper titled “From promise to pitfalls: immunological lessons from dengue vaccines and their implications” by Cassia F. Estofolete and Marielena V.
Saivish published in Nature, this is also the reason that protection provided by Sanofi’s Dengvaxia — the world’s first licensed dengue vaccine — was skewed toward individuals with prior dengue exposure. “Following initial approval and rollout in the Philippines, post-licensure surveillance identified an excess risk of severe dengue in vaccinated children who were seronegative at baseline,” it said. This led to the WHO recommending Dengvaxia only for individuals with confirmed prior infection, a requirement that limits its practicality in endemic regions where serostatus screening is challenging. Sanofi is likely to discontinue it this year.
Qdenga thus scores over Dengvaxia as it can be given without first checking whether a person has previously been infected with dengue.
l Other vaccines & their availability
BRAZIL, which has one of the largest dengue burdens globally, had approved the Butanan-DV vaccine in November 2025 for individuals aged 12 to 59. Butanan-DV is the world’s first single-dose dengue vaccine. Meanwhile, India’s Panacea Biotec has developed the country’s first indigenous dengue vaccine candidate — DengiAll — and has launched Phase III clinical trials in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research. Again, the Serum Institute of India is conducting Phase III clinical trials involving a monoclonal antibody treatment and is partnering with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) to extend trials to dengue-endemic countries.
l Prevalence of dengue in India
INDIA REPORTED 1,21,824 dengue cases and 131 deaths in 2025, according to the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control. In 2024, 297 deaths were recorded while 485 people died in 2023, highlighting the continued public health challenge posed by dengue. Globally, around 390 million infections occur annually, of which roughly 96 million manifest clinically, spanning from self-limiting febrile illness to severe dengue characterised by plasma leakage, hemorrhage, and multi-organ dysfunction. Initially seen as a predominantly tropical region disease, dengue has now spread to subtropical and even temperate regions, including Europe and the US.