Dengvaxia’s warning

The fallout of Sanofi’s dengue vaccine debacle has researchers scrambling to rationalize whether competitor products will fall afoul of the same effects, and whether other, related fields should change course. The early upshot is that while NIH’s dengue candidate is likely on safer ground, and specific precautionary measures could avert problems, there’s concern the Zika field won’t learn the lessons.

On Nov. 29, Sanofi announced that long-term studies of its Dengvaxia vaccine confirmed the vaccine exacerbated dengue infection in some dengue-naïve or seronegative children instead of protecting them. ...