Ask the Experts: Dengue: Vaccine Safety

Results (5)

Administration of Dengvaxia to a person who has never been infected with DENV may result in an increased risk of hospitalization and severe dengue illness if they are infected with natural (wild type) DENV for the first time after vaccination.

Multiple complex mechanisms likely contribute to increased disease severity during a second DENV infection. The published ACIP recommendation provides a detailed description of these mechanisms at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/rr/pdfs/rr7006a1-H.pdf. In addition, CDC has developed simple illustrations and descriptions to explain this phenomenon at https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/hcp/vaccine/eligibility.html.

In a person who has never been infected with DENV, vaccination with Dengvaxia may “stand in” (immunologically) for the first natural infection, resulting in an increased risk of severe dengue in response to the first natural infection because the immune system responds as if that infection were the “second” infection.

Last reviewed: February 16, 2022

The most frequently reported side effects among vaccine recipients in the clinical trials were headache (40%), injection site pain (32%), malaise (25%), fatigue (25%), and muscle aches (29%).

As with any vaccine, healthcare providers should report any clinically significant adverse event to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) at www.vaers.hhs.gov. even if a causal relation to vaccination is unknown or not certain.

Last reviewed: February 16, 2022

Syncope (fainting) can occur before or after vaccination because of a vasovagal response to needles. Children should be seated or lying down during vaccination. Consider observing patients (with the patient seated or lying) for 15 minutes after vaccination to decrease the risk for injury should the patient faint. If syncope develops, the patient should be observed until the symptoms resolve.

Last reviewed: February 16, 2022

Yes. The current VIS for Dengvaxia is available in both English and Spanish at www.immunize.org/vis/vis_dengue.asp.

Last reviewed: February 16, 2022

No, Dengvaxia is not included in the VICP at this time.

For additional information, visit www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/faq.

Last reviewed: February 16, 2022

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