US approves dengue vaccine Dengvaxia

US health authorities have approved the dengue fever vaccine Dengvaxia, the first controversial treatment designed to protect against the deadly virus transmitted by mosquitoes.

The Food and Drug Administration announced this announcement Wednesday, but the use of the vaccine can only take place under certain strict conditions: only children aged 9 to 16 years old already having a confirmed infection and living in areas of 39, endemic may receive the dose. .

"Although there is no cure for dengue fever … approval is an important step to help reduce the impact of this virus," said Anna Abram, top responsible for the FDA.

The virus is endemic in the American territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, the FDA announced.

Dengue, which causes haemorrhagic fever, is the most widespread mosquito-borne virus in the world. An estimated 390 million people are infected in more than 120 countries each year, claiming more than 25,000 lives, according to the World Health Organization.

Dengvaxia, produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur, remains controversial however: the Philippines, which was the first country to approve it in 2016, were also the first to ban it last February for security reasons.

Manila is also pursuing criminal proceedings against the company's officials for the deaths of children with Dengvaxia.

Sanofi denied the charges, but admitted in 2017 that the vaccine was not suitable for people who had never been infected with the virus.

Dengvaxis has already been approved in 19 countries and by the European Union, which gave the vaccine under conditions similar to those in the United States, although the age group is between 9 and 45 years old.

© 2019 AFP