As Bangladesh grapples with widespread dengue, the availability of a dengue vaccine in Australia has brought a new preventive option for Bangladeshi expatriates worried about travelling home with their families.
Qdenga, a vaccine designed to protect against dengue disease, has become available in Australia following approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) issuing clinical advice on its use in September.
The development is particularly significant for Bangladeshis living in Australia, many of whom regularly travel home with their children and other family members and have become increasingly concerned about dengue infections and deaths in Bangladesh.
Qdenga is approved in Australia for people aged four years and above.
However, health authorities do not recommend that every traveller automatically receive it.
ATAGI particularly recommends Qdenga for eligible people who have previously had dengue and are at risk of future exposure.
For people aged four and above who have never had dengue and are undertaking short-term travel, vaccination can be considered following an individual risk-benefit assessment.
For Bangladeshi families in Australia, that means the vaccine offers another option to discuss with their doctors before travelling home.
Mohammad Irfan Khan, a resident of Lakemba in Sydney, is planning to take his children to Bangladesh during an upcoming holiday.
He said reports about the dengue situation in Bangladesh, particularly infections and deaths among children, had been a source of anxiety.
With Qdenga now available, he plans to consult a doctor about whether his children should be vaccinated before the trip.
Another expatriate, Syed Ashraf Ahmed, said dengue was a growing concern among Bangladeshis living abroad as they frequently heard about relatives, friends and acquaintances becoming seriously ill back home.
The availability of vaccination before travelling to Bangladesh, he said, offered some reassurance to expatriate families.
Two doses needed
Qdenga is a live-attenuated vaccine targeting all four dengue virus serotypes.
The vaccine is administered in two 0.5ml doses. Under Australian guidance, the doses are given three months apart, and completing the two-dose course is important for maximising protection.
There is currently insufficient evidence to support routine booster doses.
Dengue is transmitted primarily by infected Aedes mosquitoes.
Symptoms can include sudden fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and rash. While many infections are mild, severe dengue can become life-threatening.
Previous infection is particularly relevant because subsequent infection with another dengue serotype can, in some circumstances, carry a greater risk of severe disease.
Almost all dengue cases notified in Australia are acquired overseas, highlighting the risk faced by international travellers visiting countries where transmission is common.
Australia itself recorded 2,381 dengue notifications in 2024 and 1,863 in 2025, according to figures cited in the source material.
Health professionals stress, however, that vaccination does not replace protection against mosquito bites.
Travellers to Bangladesh and other dengue-affected destinations should continue using mosquito repellent, wearing protective clothing and taking other precautions to minimise exposure.
For Bangladeshi expatriates preparing to visit home, Qdenga therefore does not remove the dengue risk.
But it does provide something newly available in Australia: an additional preventive option that families can discuss with their doctors before travelling.