Safety of and Immune Response to DEN4 Vaccine Component Candidate for Dengue Virus

Infection with dengue viruses is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and death in children in several tropical Asian counties. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that these viruses are responsible for more than 50 million cases of dengue fever (DF) and approximately 0.5 million cases of the more severe disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever/ shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) annually. Because dengue viruses are endemic in most tropical and subtropical regions, keeping more than 2 billion persons at risk for acquiring dengue, the WHO has made development of a dengue vaccine a top priority. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a candidate DEN4 vaccine aimed at preventing infection with dengue virus serotype 4.