Advancing Dengue Prevention: Vaccine Development and Current Trials

Abstract

Dengue fever remains one of the most significant mosquito-borne viral diseases, affecting nearly 390 million individuals annually, with 96 million symptomatic cases. In the absence of targeted antiviral therapy and the limitations of existing vector control strategies, vaccine development has emerged as the primary strategy for long-term dengue prevention. This manuscript reviews the global necessity for a dengue vaccine, discusses challenges related to immunological responses and antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), and evaluates current vaccine candidates and ongoing clinical trials. Recent progress with licensed vaccines, such as Dengvaxia and Qdenga, is analyzed, along with promising developments from the NIH and Butantan Institute. Emerging platforms, including mRNA-based vaccines, have also been addressed.