Roadmap for successful dengue vaccine introduction

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Worldwide dengue epidemics continue to increase; climate change, growing urbanization and migration patterns predict our scenario. These epidemiological and sociological conditions impose an overwhelming economic burden and use of health services due to dengue's high morbidity in all socioeconomically strata. Up to now, the most commonly used control strategy against dengue has been vector control, which has proven limited effectiveness. Thanks to R&D efforts a safe and effective dengue vaccine could become available in the near future. In this paramount, the countries develop preparedness plans for the introduction of a dengue vaccine that ought to include:-Determination of the real dengue burden of disease, by strengthening information systems and developing specific epidemiological studies.-Development of a vaccine introduction strategy: defining specific target populations, strengthening vaccine delivery platform, and training.-Adjustment of the regulatory requirements, to allow proper and timely licensing of the new vaccine.-Implementation of econometric studies to estimate costs involved in the vaccine introduction and cost-effectiveness analysis.-Strengthening dengue prevention and control programs.-Ensuring budgetary resources.-Preparation of health promotion and social dissemination strategy to ensure an adequate uptake of the vaccine. The development of a preparedness plan requires the leadership and active participation of all interested parties: public health agencies, academic bodies, research groups, regulatory authority and operational organizations focusing on five strategic areas:-Epidemiological information and burden of disease.-Vaccine introduction strategy and operative elements.-Legal and regulatory issues.Economic and financial issues.-Social communication and health promotion. Science, technology and human creativity, have come together to provide a public health innovation with great impact, to prevent a worldwide high burden disease; it is imperative for governments and society to ensure that this new tool, be incorporated in the national immunization programs and therefore reaching dengue control.