World'S First Dengue Vaccine Shows Promising Results In Thailand

[george]

World's first dengue vaccine shows promising results

BANGKOK: -- Preliminary results of clinical trials of a vaccine for haemorrhagic dengue fever in 4,000 children in Thailand have shown promising results, a Mahidol University researcher revealed Friday.

The study was started in 2009 by a team from Mahidol University, Ratchaburi Hospital and the Public Health Ministry's Disease Control Department.

The team is carrying out an efficacy study on a vaccine covering four serotypes of dengue virus on 4,000 children aged four to 11 years in Muang district, Ratchaburi province.

The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes.

-- The Nation 2011-06-10

[tombkk]

"The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes."

If the vaccine works, that's good news.

But, if I were the parent of one of those children "aged two years and up", I would think twice (and even more often than that) before agreeing. That's me, the selfish one. I guess I ought to be blamed for thinking like that, because if the test proves fatal, I can always make a new child. Right? - Right. I, the selfish one who would protect his child from such dangerous tests, wonders what goes on in the minds of parents who provide their children for use as guinea pigs in such studies.

There must be a reason, it just escapes my imgination right now. Please help.

[Bagwan]

"The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes."

If the vaccine works, that's good news.

But, if I were the parent of one of those children "aged two years and up", I would think twice (and even more often than that) before agreeing. That's me, the selfish one. I guess I ought to be blamed for thinking like that, because if the test proves fatal, I can always make a new child. Right? - Right. I, the selfish one who would protect his child from such dangerous tests, wonders what goes on in the minds of parents who provide their children for use as guinea pigs in such studies.

There must be a reason, it just escapes my imgination right now. Please help.

How many children throughout the World are sold into slavery by their parents? In Thailand how many children do not complete their schooling? There is enough poverty in all the countries mentioned in the report to suspect that cash payments were involved. I am more than hopeful that those conducting the experiments were both ethical and honestly believed that unnecessary risks were not taken.

BTW the UK Government experimental facility at Porton Down carried out tests on UK servicemen and told them that they were researching for treatments for the common cold. It was nothing of the sort and many suffered long term through the inflicted effects. There were similar cases in the US I believe.

[webfact]

World's first dengue vaccine shows promising results

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Preliminary results of clinical trials of a vaccine for haemorrhagic dengue fever in 4,000 children in Thailand have shown promising results, a Mahidol University researcher revealed yesterday.

The study was started in 2009 by a team from Mahidol University, Ratchaburi Hospital and the Public Health Ministry's Disease Control Department.

The team is carrying out an efficacy study on a vaccine covering four serotypes of dengue virus on 4,000 children aged four to 11 years in Muang district, Ratchaburi province.

The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes.

However, more study is necessary. In Ratchaburi, the study aims to establish whether the vaccine can protect from or prevent dengue fever and whether it is safe before using it on the public.

From February 2009 to March this year, the investigating team gave three vaccine shots to 4,000 children every six months. The team closely watched the patients for symptoms for 28 days and found that no participants developed adverse effects.

"The results show that it is safe," principal investigator Professor Arunee Sabchareon said.

However, she said a team of researchers reported that 73 of 4,000 participants were found to have the dengue virus after the injection.

The final results of the study, the world's first efficacy study for a dengue vaccine, are expected next year.

Arunee said that if the vaccine worked, Thailand would see a reduction in dengue patients of about 50,000 a year, with 50 lives saved and significant savings in medical expenses, insecticide expenses and other expenses.

"We have not discussed the price of the vaccine yet but I think it should be put on the national immunisation programme to protect children from dengue fever," she said.

Dengue fever is a major infectious disease in tropical countries.

In Thailand, dengue has been endemic since 1958. Dengue fever can be found in every province, city and district. A pandemic affecting 50,000 to 100,000 patients occurs every a year. Most patients are younger than 15 years. There are 50 to 150 deaths from the disease a year.

-- The Nation 2011-06-11

[EnhancePlus]

A cure for Dengue Fever, why?? I love Dengue Fever

[tombkk]

"The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes."

If the vaccine works, that's good news.

But, if I were the parent of one of those children "aged two years and up", I would think twice (and even more often than that) before agreeing. That's me, the selfish one. I guess I ought to be blamed for thinking like that, because if the test proves fatal, I can always make a new child. Right? - Right. I, the selfish one who would protect his child from such dangerous tests, wonders what goes on in the minds of parents who provide their children for use as guinea pigs in such studies.

There must be a reason, it just escapes my imgination right now. Please help.

How many children throughout the World are sold into slavery by their parents? In Thailand how many children do not complete their schooling? There is enough poverty in all the countries mentioned in the report to suspect that cash payments were involved. I am more than hopeful that those conducting the experiments were both ethical and honestly believed that unnecessary risks were not taken.

It's an assumption that money was involved. I hope for Sanofi that everything was conducted within ethical standards, otherwise we'll have PETCH (People for the ethical treatment of children) demanding "no more child testing".

BTW the UK Government experimental facility at Porton Down carried out tests on UK servicemen and told them that they were researching for treatments for the common cold. It was nothing of the sort and many suffered long term through the inflicted effects. There were similar cases in the US I believe.

It appears those people were lied at, which is a different thing. We don't know whether the parents of these children received the correct information, they probably did and maybe even signed a release form.

[Lost in LOS]

yep, would be good to have a vaccine but they are testing it on kids, not such a good idea me-thinks

[HakimKlunker]

There must be a reason, it just escapes my imgination right now. Please help.

You are guided by basic animal instincts:

Re-produce your self and ensure your lineage.

That is your right.

What counts more, is : survival of the species.

At last, there is a promise for a life after life. Right?

[humqdpf]

"The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes."

If the vaccine works, that's good news.

But, if I were the parent of one of those children "aged two years and up", I would think twice (and even more often than that) before agreeing. That's me, the selfish one. I guess I ought to be blamed for thinking like that, because if the test proves fatal, I can always make a new child. Right? - Right. I, the selfish one who would protect his child from such dangerous tests, wonders what goes on in the minds of parents who provide their children for use as guinea pigs in such studies.

There must be a reason, it just escapes my imgination right now. Please help.

Certain forms of dengue turn haemoragic if they infect the host more than once. Given the prevalence of dengue in the named countries, a parent of a child who has already contracted dengue at least once would logically consider the vaccine. The risk of mortality or morbidity on contracting dengue another time in the case of a child would greatly outweigh any attendant risks of taking the vaccine.

In addition, much already would be known about how the vaccine and how it behaves inside the body before it would be administered to a child in the first place.

Despite many wrongly reported instances in the media (including the 3 in 1 scandal that was wrongly reported), vaccines have caused very little trouble to their hosts. Your child would not thank you for holding back on the vaccine if they were to get a subsequent infection that caused serious damage or death.

[Jockey]

yep, would be good to have a vaccine but they are testing it on kids, not such a good idea me-thinks

Just google "children vaccine guinea pigs" and you'll see the children used for vaccine tests are typically those in foster care and those from poor families in the 3rd world. If you knew what was going on in the criminal vaccine industry world, you wouldn't let your child near this vaccine with a 10 foot barge pole. Its better to have a strong immune system to deal with the many threats in the world rather than keep taking vaccines for every threat which weakens our immune systems and do much more harm than good. Do the research. Babies are now expected to take in about 22 to 27 vaccines dozes before the age of 15 months and the number of doses keep rising. Its a scam of the most horrendous type, run by big business and promoted by those who believe in eugenics.

[anterian]

"The vaccine is made by Sanofi Pasteur and has gone through studies on laboratory animals and humans in the Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru and the United States. Studies were previously conducted on children aged two years and up, teenagers and adults. It was found to be safe and able to create antibodies for the four serotypes."

If the vaccine works, that's good news.

But, if I were the parent of one of those children "aged two years and up", I would think twice (and even more often than that) before agreeing. That's me, the selfish one. I guess I ought to be blamed for thinking like that, because if the test proves fatal, I can always make a new child. Right? - Right. I, the selfish one who would protect his child from such dangerous tests, wonders what goes on in the minds of parents who provide their children for use as guinea pigs in such studies.

There must be a reason, it just escapes my imgination right now. Please help.

Certain forms of dengue turn haemoragic if they infect the host more than once. Given the prevalence of dengue in the named countries, a parent of a child who has already contracted dengue at least once would logically consider the vaccine. The risk of mortality or morbidity on contracting dengue another time in the case of a child would greatly outweigh any attendant risks of taking the vaccine.

In addition, much already would be known about how the vaccine and how it behaves inside the body before it would be administered to a child in the first place.

Despite many wrongly reported instances in the media (including the 3 in 1 scandal that was wrongly reported), vaccines have caused very little trouble to their hosts. Your child would not thank you for holding back on the vaccine if they were to get a subsequent infection that caused serious damage or death.

Nice to see a sensible informed comment amongst the usual anti vaccination hysteria.

[rich54321]

Fantastic bit of news for a change - lets hope they do manage to get the vaccine right and it works - my son had dengue fever a couple of years ago and was on a drip in hospital - anyhow a few days and we brought him home - the original doctors had diagnosed a gastro infection but we insisted it wasn't and had further tests we got him into hospital just in time!!!!!! a lousy disease/ infection form such a tiny mozzie

[irwinfc]

obviously, there are lots here who know nothing about clinical trials and how they are conducted. ethical standards for these kinds of trials are very stringent that very little concern is even given to the researchers and even less for pharma companies that sponsor them. there are independent local and international review boards that scrutinize these trials before they even begin. this dengue vaccine trial is what's called a phase 3 trial which has undergone animal testing as well as in few volunteers.

why children then? because the most affected are children aged 15 and below. what most don't know is that children included in clinical trials benefit from a fast-track system almost like a red carpet treatment (for ANY illness a child may have not necessarily dengue) each time they are brought to the hospital conducting the study. also, study volunteers are tracked for any illness actively.

for those who think people "being tested" in clinical trials are exploited, abused, taken advantage of, etc should lay off the hollywood stuff for a while. this is the real world and those who conduct these "experiments" are humans like us and don't deserve to be likened to crazed scientists.

[hellodolly]

yep, would be good to have a vaccine but they are testing it on kids, not such a good idea me-thinks

I am not that familiar with the disease but I thought it was contracted mostly by kids.

Please some one who has real knowledge and not opinions let me know.

It would b e very mush appreciated.

[hawker9000]

yep, would be good to have a vaccine but they are testing it on kids, not such a good idea me-thinks

I am not that familiar with the disease but I thought it was contracted mostly by kids.

Please some one who has real knowledge and not opinions let me know.

It would b e very mush appreciated.

I wasn't aware that kids were any more or less vulnerable than any other age group (in terms of actual susceptibility to the infection - they might be more likely to get it statistically because of their activities and bite exposure). I certainly know a few adults who've contracted it.