Advisers to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday recommended the use of a tetravalent dengue vaccine by the German unit of Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd for people aged four years and above.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, generally causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people. However, some patients develop severe symptoms, with an estimated death rate of 20,000 to 25,000 each year, primarily in children, according to the World Health Organization.

The EMA panel said although there is already an approved vaccine for preventing the disease caused by the dengue virus, Takeda’s vaccine showed bigger protection for young children and those aged above 45 years.

Takeda said it is expecting marketing approval for the vaccine in coming months from the EMA.

The panel’s recommendation was based on data from 19 clinical trials, where the vaccine helped in preventing fever, severe disease and hospitalization caused by any of the four serotypes of the dengue virus.

Reuters