In June 2021, ACIP voted to recommend Dengvaxia for routine use in children age 9 through 16 years with laboratory-confirmed previous dengue virus infection and living in areas where CDC has classified dengue as endemic. The recommendation is only for persons with confirmed previous DENV infection because Dengvaxia is associated with an increased risk for severe dengue in those who experience their first natural infection (i.e., primary infection) after vaccination.
The vaccine is not approved for use in U.S. travelers who are visiting but not living in an area where dengue is common.
The most current ACIP recommendations for Dengvaxia are available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/rr/pdfs/rr7006a1-H.pdf.
CDC has developed a pre-vaccination checklist for evaluating whether a child should receive Dengvaxia: www.cdc.gov/dengue/resources/DVBD_FS_Vaccination_Checklist-508.pdf.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
Children with confirmation of previous DENV infection need three doses of Dengvaxia, given 6 months apart, for complete protection (0, 6 months, 12 months).
Recipients achieve significant protection following dose 1. Ongoing evaluation will determine whether the schedule could be simplified in the future.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
No, it is not. It is only recommended for children and teens ages 9 through 16 who reside in dengue endemic areas.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
No. Dengvaxia is FDA-licensed only for children and teens ages 9 through 16 years.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
CDC does not recommend Dengvaxia for non-residents of areas where dengue is endemic. If the child spends regular extended periods in Puerto Rico to point that they are considered a part-time resident, the family should consult with the child’s health care provider in Puerto Rico for assessment.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
Dengvaxia is a live-attenuated vaccine. Live virus vaccines are generally not recommended during pregnancy; however, people infected with DENV during pregnancy are at increased risk of severe dengue. Perinatal transmission may occur with peripartum maternal infection increasing the risk of symptomatic illness in the newborn. The ACIP recommendations classify pregnancy as a precaution to vaccination with Dengvaxia.
Pregnant people were not explicitly enrolled and studied in the Dengvaxia vaccine trials. A minimal number of pregnant women in the trial inadvertently received Dengvaxia. There was no increased frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., spontaneous abortion, intrauterine death, stillbirth) noted compared to the control group. However, due to the small sample size, no conclusions can be made on the possible effect of Dengvaxia on pregnancy.
Providers should consider the pregnant person’s risk of DENV infection and its complications when deciding whether or not to recommend Dengvaxia during pregnancy or to defer until after pregnancy.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
CDC recommends that Dengvaxia should be used with precaution in breastfeeding individuals. There are no data in humans to evaluate the safety of Dengvaxia in infants who are breastfed. Providers and breastfeeding parents should weigh the benefits of breastfeeding and the risk of DENV infection in the mother and the infant.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
Dengvaxia is a live-attenuated vaccine and is contraindicated in children with severe immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to underlying disease or therapy, including children with symptomatic HIV infection or CD4+ T-lymphocyte count below 200 per cubic milliliter.
The ACIP recommendations state that Dengvaxia may be used with precaution in people with HIV infection who do not meet the criteria for contraindication, based on an assessment of the person’s risk of vaccination against the risk of dengue and its complications.
Last reviewed:
February 16, 2022
