At last, the first dengue vaccine!

Mere mention of the word dengue is enough to make us cringe and shiver in fear. The statistics are indeed alarming: Caused by four distinct virus serotypes transmitted by mosquitoes, dengue severely affects some 500,000 people, including children, who require hospitalization, every year. About 2.5% affected die. Severe dengue, also known as dengue haemorrhagic fever, is a potentially deadly complication due to plasma leakage, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment. In the case of severe dengue, timely access to appropriate health care is critical to reduce the risk of mortality.

But at long last, the first dengue vaccine could be available in the second half of 2015. Sanofi Pasteur has been working on a dengue vaccine for more than 20 years now, with the goal of making dengue the next vaccine-preventable disease with a safe and effective dengue vaccine available in all parts of the world where this disease poses a threat to the public’s health.

Sanofi’s vaccines division recently announced the publication of the detailed results of the final landmark phase III clinical efficacy study in Latin America in The New England Journal of Medicine. Take note: “Overall efficacy against any symptomatic dengue disease was 60.8 percent in children and adolescents nine to 16 years old who received three doses of the vaccine. Analyses show a 95.5-percent protection against severe dengue and an 80.3-percent reduction in the risk of hospitalization during the study. The results of this second phase III efficacy study confirm the high efficacy against severe dengue and the reduction in hospitalization observed during the 25-month active surveillance period of the first phase III efficacy study conducted in Asia, highlighting the consistency of the results across the world.

“Safety analyses (solicited reactions, unsolicited events and Serious Adverse Events SAEs) during the study showed similar reporting rates between the vaccine and control groups and are consistent with the favorable safety profile observed during the 25-month active surveillance period of the previous efficacy study conducted in Asia. The full data of the Latin American study are also presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting, 2-6 November 2014.”

Olivier Charmeil, president/CEO of Sanofi Pasteur, said, “We plan to submit the vaccine for licensure in 2015 in endemic countries where dengue is a public health priority. We are committed to supporting countries’ ambitions to significantly impact the human and economic burden of dengue through comprehensive vaccination programs. Our goal is to help meet the WHO’s objectives to reduce dengue mortality by 50% and morbidity by 25% by 2020.”

 “Healthcare systems can be paralyzed when trying to cope with a dengue outbreak. The economic and societal costs can be staggering,” remarked Dr. Roberto Tapia-Conyer, director general, Carlos Slim Foundation, Mexico. “Broad public immunization programs will be critical in achieving the full benefit of a dengue vaccine within a public health perspective, to reach the control of the disease.”

Dr. Rivaldo Cunha, infectious disease specialist and associate professor, Faculty of Medicine Universidade de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and a principal investigator in the study, declared, “Until now, we were only able to provide supportive care for patients with dengue. On the strength of the outcome of this phase III efficacy study, we hope this will become an effective preventive measure against dengue. I will welcome a dengue vaccine that can prevent the personal suffering of severe disease and hospitalization.”

Over 40,000 volunteers participated in the Sanofi Pasteur dengue vaccine clinical study program (phases I, II and III). Two pivotal phase III efficacy studies involved more than 31,000 volunteers from Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) and Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico and Puerto Rico). 

In the postcard-pretty commune of Neuville-sur-Saône in eastern France, Sanofi Pasteur is churning out the vaccine in a newly dedicated production facility which will be capable of producing large quantities of vaccines enough to meet the global public health demand.

Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine candidate is the most clinically and industrially advanced dengue vaccine candidate in development.

For additional info on Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine candidate, visit http://www.dengue.info and http://es.dengue.info.

With the vaccine still being developed, experts say that the best way to prevent dengue fever is to avoid contact with the mosquito species carrying the dengue virus.  Jardine Distribution Inc. shares these tips on dengue prevention:

• Check your windows and screens. Ensure they are in good condition.

• Keep your water storage clean and well covered.

• Water in flower vases must be changed every other day. Indoor plants must be taken outside once or twice a week, as this can serve as hiding places for mosquitoes. 

• When you leave your homes, always cover the toilet bowl and the floor traps.

• Regularly check drainage systems for any wriggler growths. 

• Discard items that will collect rain or run-off water like old tires, where mosquitoes can breed.

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Giving typhoon victims a fresh, clean start

Remember the TV commercial where a zealous agent selling a vacuum cleaner sings (and pledges to sweep your house spotlessly clean), “I’m gonna knock on your door, ring on your bell ...”?  It’s been ages since that “sweeping” Electrolux ad and now, Electrolux is back at your doorstep, but this time, it’s knocking on the doors of people’s hearts and asking everyone to participate in its clothes donation drive.

For five years now, Electrolux has been an advocate of clothes donation.  Together with its partners, Electrolux collects pre-loved clothes to be donated to calamity victims.  This is done in advance so that the preparation will be longer; thus, when a disaster strikes, the clothes are already ready for distribution.

The main difference is the donated clothes are first laundered and sorted out, before they’re turned over to the beneficiaries.  This is to make sure that the clothes given are clean and fresh, to give the victims a fresh new start and dignity despite what they went through. 

The advocacy campaign, which weaves in well with the Electrolux brand (fabricare appliances), has been so successful, running away with a Quill Award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and a gold award at the UA&P Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards.

Filipinos have relentlessly proven that the bayanihan spirit is alive and well, come hell or high water. Every year, the Philippines is devastated by numerous typhoons that result in loss of lives, ruined homes, ravaged livelihoods, and shattered dreams. From one calamity to another, Filipinos have made it a tradition to donate and help rehabilitate the lives of their unfortunate countrymen.

Sharing in this tradition, Electrolux, a global leader in home appliances, has been collecting and laundering clothes for calamity-stricken survivors for several years now. This year, Electrolux, through its Delightful-E Simple campaign, gave this long-running advocacy a fresh twist.

Together with the tireless women of Gawad Kalinga’s Trese community, Electrolux will upcycle unusable clothes into quilts for children and newborn babies in orphanages and other communities. We couldn’t think of a more heartwarming gesture!

 “Electrolux believes that there must be dignity in the clothes that we donate. To make sure that every piece of clothing is in good condition, we will sort out the wornout, unwearable ones, then upcycle them into quilts with the help of Trese,” said Andrea Pionilla, Electrolux marketing manager. “With this partnership, we aim not only to give quilts to children and newborn babies but also another source of livelihood for this Payatas community.”

You may drop off your clothes donations at any of these locations: Electrolux Customer Service Hub, 
Grundfos Building, 5548 Osmeña Highway, Brgy. San Isidro, Makati City; Mommy Mundo head office, 
second floor, Fun Ranch Frontera Verde, Ortigas Center, Pasig City; Unilever Philippines head office, 
1351 United Nations Ave., Paco, Manila; Empire East Land Holdings Inc., 
11th floor, World Center Bldg., Sen Gil Puyat, Makati City; St. Mary’s College, 
37 Mother Ignacia Ave., Paligsahan, QC; Kodak Philippines, 2901 88 Corporate Center, Valero corner Sedeño St., Salcedo Village, Makati City; Morgan Stanley, 16th floor, E-Services Building, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; Center for Culinary Arts (CCA),
287 Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, QC; Dasmariñas Village (Homeowners Association Office), 
1419 Campanilla St., Dasmariñas Village, Makati; BrandAction Inc., Unit 4B, ALPAP Bldg., 160 LP Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati; Isla Lipana & Co.,
29th floor, Philam Life Tower, 8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati.

Visit electolux.com.ph and click the Delightful-E tab to know more about the Electrolux Delightful-E Simple to Share advocacy Also visit www.facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook or follow @ElectroluxPH on Twitter and Instagram.