Are vaccines sufficient to solve the problems of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue?
Vaccines are important tools against many infectious diseases. Several potential dengue vaccines are being studied and one has been recommended for use under limited circumstances. Likewise, research on malaria vaccines has been ongoing for decades and one vaccine has received WHO recommendation for children living in regions of high disease transmission, where it has demonstrated a reduction in severe disease. More recently, another type of vaccine also has been shown in clinical trials to reduce malaria incidence in young children, and this vaccine has been approved for use in certain countries.
Malaria and dengue have proven to be very challenging diseases to control. Successful control and/or elimination will require multiple different tools. Vector control is expected to remain important for several reasons. For example, vaccines that prevent clinical disease do not stop transmission of the parasite or virus, so the threat of infection remains. The need for approved vaccines currently exceeds availability leaving many unprotected. And, vaccines generally need to be administered in multiple doses, raising issues of cost and adherence. WHO has taken the position that new vector control tools are urgently needed, and that the potential contribution of genetically modified-mosquitoes should continue to be explored.
For more information:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases
https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/prevention/dengue-vaccine.html
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/dengue-vaccines-who-position-paper-september-2018
https://www.who.int/news/item/06-10-2021-who-recommends-groundbreaking-malaria-vaccine-for-children-at-riskhttps://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2020-who-takes-a-position-on-genetically-modified-mosquitoes
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(19)31139-0.pdf
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