How can I protect myself and avoid dengue fever?
Avoid dengue fever by preventing mosquito bites. Use a mosquito repellent, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks. At home, install structural barriers.
The best protection is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. The chances of being bitten are significantly reduced if you expose as little skin as possible. When in an area with mosquitoes, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks.
Also, use a mosquito repellent with at least 10% of diethyltoluamide (DEET), a substance that repels biting pests. A higher concentration of DEET is necessary for longer lengths of exposure but avoid using DEET on young children. At the same time, avoid wearing heavily scented soaps and perfumes as these are known to attract mosquitoes.
At home, install structural barriers such as window screens or insecticide-treated netting. Nets that have been treated with insecticides are much more เล่น UFABET ผ่านมือถือ สะดวกทุกที่ ทุกเวลา protective. Not only does the insecticide kill mosquitoes and other insects, it is also a physical barrier that prevents mosquitoes from entering the room.
Remember that the Aedes mosquito prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water in your home, so eliminate any possible breeding locations (eg. buckets, watering cans, receptacles). Practise the good habit of regularly cleaning and scrubbing your plant pots to remove mosquito eggs and loosen soil from potted plants to prevent puddles from developing on the surface of hard soil.
Is there a vaccination for dengue fever?
As of October 2016, the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia has approved by the Health Science Authority for the prevention of dengue disease in individuals aged 12 – 45 years. The vaccine has shown to be 70% effective in preventing dengue fever, and up to 95% in preventing severe, life-threatening dengue illness.
The World Health Organisation, in its expert panel review, recommended countries to implement a national vaccine programme using Dengvaxia. If the rate of previous dengue infection in their population falls below 50%. As such, the vaccine will be less effective here in Singapore. Individuals who wish to be vaccinated with Dengvaxia® should first consult a doctor.
Dr Leong recommends the vaccination for individuals. Who have had dengue fever before. This is especially important in preventing a second infection. Which can often be more severe than the first.
70% of individuals have had dengue fever with no prior symptoms, ie. they had no idea that they had developed dengue fever the first time. For an accurate diagnosis of dengue fever, you can ask your doctor to perform the PanBio Dengue IgG Elisa test.