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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : September 8, 2014 4:19 PM IST
Scientists have warned that dengue vaccines could cause short-term but major spikes in the years after they are first used. Jan Medlock, an assistant professor at Oregon State University said that their analysis suggested that if they developed and widely used a vaccine for dengue fever, there might later be spikes in the incidence of the disease that were two to three times higher than its normal level.
The research was done by experts at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Clemson University, both of which supported the studies. Scientists used mathematical modeling to examine the quirks of infectious disease transmission that may lead to this quandary. The work was specific to dengue fever, but might also be relevant to other diseases for which vaccines are being sought, such as malaria, and in which the level of protection is less than total.
According to the researchers, the beginning of a vaccination program would slow the numbers of children getting the disease, for a while. But it's expected that a dengue vaccine would not provide total protection against infection. Then, during a period when naturally fluctuating mosquito populations reach an unusually high level, a disproportionate number of children, who were still vulnerable to infection and have never had the disease, would become infected in a short period.
This could cause loss of faith in the vaccination program among the public or policy makers who have never seen such high levels of the disease, stretch the capabilities of health care facilities and workers to care for the sick, and in a worst-case scenario lead people to avoid the vaccine, researchers said. Some short-term spikes could even be as high as seven times the average rate, they said.
A possible way to deal with this phenomenon, scientists said, was literally to vaccinate fewer people. That would cause higher number of people to get the disease in the long run, but reduce the intensity of the spikes and the associated demands on a health care system. The study is published in Epidemiology and Infection. (Read: Dengue fever: Symptoms, medication and prevention)
Here are some tips to prevent dengue
Tip # 1: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known to bite humans during the day and their most common breeding grounds are man made containers with stagnant water. Therefore, it is advisable to not have any stagnant water around your home. Remember to clean out empty flower pots and not to over water potted plants. If the container that contains water cannot be emptied, remember to cover it well when not in use.
Tip # 2:Since your mother is already ill with dengue, try to not let mosquitoes bite her or others in the house. This will only lead to the
Tip # 3:Turn over empty pails and buckets, so that they do not collect excess water.
Tip # 4:Use mosquito repellents regularly. Apply it well on all exposed areas, during the day as well as at night.
Tip # 5:Make sure your window and door screens do not have any holes. If so, block those areas properly to eliminate mosquitoes. Read more about World Health Day 2014: Dengue prevention 10 tips to stay safe from the disease
With inputs from ANI
Photo source: Getty images
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