Why get vaccinated?
Dengue vaccine can help protect against dengue in people who have had dengue in the past.
Dengue is caused by one of four viruses spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. A person can get infected by any of the four dengue viruses. Infection with one dengue virus does not protect against infection with the other three viruses. Each year, up to 400 million people are infected with dengue. Almost half of the world's population lives in areas with a risk of dengue.
Most people infected with dengue have no symptoms or experience mild disease.
Some people who get sick with dengue have sudden onset of fever with nausea, vomiting, a rash, and eye, muscle, joint, or bone aches and pains.
A smaller number of people with dengue will have severe disease. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, requiring immediate medical attention at a hospital. Hospitalization with dengue is most common in older children and adolescents. Warning signs of severe dengue begin 12 to 24 hours after fever goes away and include stomach pain and tenderness, vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in vomit or stool, and extreme tiredness or restlessness.
Rarely, dengue can have serious effects on the liver, heart, central nervous system, kidneys, eyes, muscles, or bone marrow. Severe dengue can also lead to death.
