No dengue vaccine is available. Recently, however,
attenuated candidate vaccine viruses have
been developed in Thailand. These vaccines are safe
and immunogenic when given in various formulations,
including a quadrivalent vaccine for all four
dengue virus serotypes. Unfortunately, efficacy trials
in human volunteers have yet to be initiated.
Research is also being conducted to develop secondgeneration
recombinant vaccine viruses; the Thailand
attenuated viruses are used as a template.
However, an effective dengue vaccine for public use
will not be available for 5 to 10 years.
Prospects for reversing the recent trend of increased
epidemic activity and geographic expansion
of dengue are not promising. New dengue virus
strains and serotypes will likely continue to be introduced
into many areas where the population densities
of Ae. aegypti are at high levels. With no new
mosquito control technology available, in recent
years public health authorities have emphasized