KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will be conducting a trial study on the safety, immunogenicity and ultimately efficacy of dengue vaccine in five states from December until the middle of next year.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the states involved were Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Sarawak.
“Currently, there is no specific treatment or a vaccine available for dengue fever and vector control remains the bedrock for controlling this disease,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said clinical trials for sero-prevalence, acute febrile episodes and dengue infection had already started since the middle of this year involving 300 volunteers.
“If these studies are successful, we hope the vaccine can be made available to the Malaysian people in the next few years. If the results of the trials are positive, the ministry will be committed to start preparations to control dengue in Malaysia with the availability of this vaccine in the future.”
Dr Mohd Ismail said the ministry, in collaboration with vaccine world leader Sanofi Pasteur, was also conducting an unprecedented dengue vaccine research and development programme in which Malaysia was leading the region in advancing the development of a novel vaccine for the prevention of dengue in children and adults. — Bernama