Potential impact of dengue vaccination: Insights from two large-scale phase III trials with a tetravalent dengue vaccine

Abstract Background A tetravalent dengue vaccine demonstrated its protective efficacy in two phase III efficacy studies. Results from these studies were used to derive vaccination impact in the five Asian (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam) and the five Latin American countries (Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico and Puerto Rico) participating in these trials. Methods Vaccination impact was investigated with an age-structured, host-vector, serotype-specific compartmental model. Parameters related to vaccine efficacy and levels of dengue transmission were estimated using data collected during the phase III efficacy studies. Several vaccination programs, including routine vaccination at different ages with and without large catch-up campaigns, were investigated. Results All vaccination programs explored translated into significant reductions in dengue cases at the population level over the first 10 years following vaccine introduction and beyond. The most efficient age for vaccination varied according to transmission intensity and 9 years was close to the most efficient age across all settings. The combination of routine vaccination and large catch-up campaigns was found to enable a rapid reduction of dengue burden after vaccine introduction. Conclusion Our analysis suggests that dengue vaccination can significantly reduce the public health impact of dengue in countries where the disease is endemic.