India moves closer to dengue vaccine as final trials underway

India's dengue vaccine enters final trials, offering hope for affordable, single-dose solutions to combat the global epidemic.

As dengue surges globally, an Indian vaccine candidate has entered the final stage of testing, raising hopes for one of the world's first single-dose shots against the deadly mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue, which causes severe flu-like symptoms and debilitating body aches, has exploded globally, fuelled by rising temperatures and densely populated cities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that almost half the world's population is now at risk, with 100-400 million infections every year. India alone has recorded over one million cases and at least 1,500 deaths since 2021.

Hoping to stem the global epidemic, Panacea Biotec has begun final Phase III trials of its vaccine, DengiAll, which has been pursuing for nearly 15 years.

More than 10,000 volunteers across the country are enrolled in the study, overseen by the Indian Council of Medical Research, with the vaccine on track for rollout as early as next year if the trial results are favourable.

"We will try to get this vaccine out there as soon as possible," Syed Khalid Ali, chief scientific officer of Panacea, told AFP in New Delhi.