After decades of relying on mosquito control, public awareness campaigns, and supportive treatment to combat dengue, India has taken a significant step in its fight against the disease. The Drug Controller General of India has approved the manufacture of QDENGA, the world’s first widely approved dengue vaccine, offering hope that the country may finally have an additional weapon against one of its fastest-growing seasonal health threats.

The approval has allowed a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company to manufacture QDENGA, a vaccine originally developed by a Japanese pharmaceutical firm. While the development has been welcomed by public health experts, they caution that the approval marks only the beginning of a lengthy process before the vaccine actually reaches the public.