For years the answer to "is there a dengue vaccine?" at our clinic has been no, not really. That has changed. Qdenga, a dengue vaccine made by Takeda, was registered by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in April 2026, and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) released its clinical advice on 24 September 2026. Travel Doctors Brisbane will have Qdenga in stock in Bulimba from mid October 2026.
Before you book, it is worth understanding what dengue is, who the vaccine is actually recommended for, and why it is not a routine jab for every Bali holiday. This is general information, not personal medical advice.
What is dengue and why do travellers worry about it?
Dengue is a viral infection spread by Aedes mosquitoes, the ones that bite during the day and breed in small pools of water around houses, hotels and cities. The World Health Organization describes it as the fastest growing mosquito borne disease in the world, with roughly 100 million symptomatic cases a year and a record of more than 14 million reported cases in 2024. Almost every case diagnosed in Australia is caught overseas, and the places Australians catch it are the places we love to holiday. Indonesia, Thailand, India, Vietnam and Fiji all have ongoing transmission, and between them they account for close to a third of short trips out of Australia.
Most infections are mild or go unnoticed. When dengue does make you sick it means a sudden high fever, a crushing headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain (it used to be called breakbone fever for a reason), nausea and a rash, usually 5 to 7 days after the bite. There is no antiviral treatment. Most people recover in a week or two, but a small proportion develop severe dengue, with bleeding, fluid leaking from the blood vessels and shock, and that can be fatal. The catch is that there are four types of dengue virus, and a second infection with a different type is more likely to be severe than the first. That is why people who have already had dengue once are at the top of ATAGI's list for the vaccine.
What is Qdenga?
Qdenga is a live, weakened vaccine that covers all four dengue virus types. It is registered in Australia for people aged 4 years and over. The course is two injections under the skin, given at least 12 weeks (three months) apart. Both doses are needed for the best and longest lasting protection, and there is no booster recommendation at this stage. It is a private vaccine, not funded on the National Immunisation Program, so you pay for it.
Qdenga can be given on the same day as other travel vaccines, including hepatitis A, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever. If it is not given on the same day as another live vaccine (yellow fever, MMR or Japanese encephalitis), the two need to be four weeks apart, which is one more reason to plan early.
Who does ATAGI recommend the dengue vaccine for?
This is the part that matters, and it is more selective than a lot of people expect. ATAGI's September 2026 statement recommends Qdenga for:
- Anyone who has had dengue before and is travelling to a dengue area again, whatever the length of the trip. A second infection carries the highest risk of severe disease, and this is where the vaccine does its best work.
- People planning to live, work or spend long or repeated periods in dengue areas. Expats, fly in fly out workers, aid and mission workers, people with family overseas who go back every year, and long term backpackers.
- Laboratory workers who may be exposed to dengue virus.
For everyone else, meaning the traveller with no dengue history heading off on a shorter holiday, ATAGI says the vaccine can be considered after an individual risk assessment. That is deliberately not a blanket yes. Your doctor will weigh up where you are going and whether there is an outbreak, how long you are staying, how much time you will spend outdoors in mosquito country, whether you are likely to keep going back, and how you personally feel about the risk. A fortnight at a Nusa Dua resort and three months volunteering in rural Cambodia are very different conversations.
You do not need a blood test first. ATAGI does not recommend routine dengue serology before vaccination. If you had a dengue like illness while overseas or within two weeks of coming home, tell your doctor, because that history counts.
How well does it work?
The main trial enrolled more than 20,000 children and teenagers aged 4 to 16 across eight dengue countries. In the first year after vaccination it prevented about 80% of confirmed dengue cases, and over four and a half years of follow up it prevented more than 80% of dengue hospitalisations. Protection was strongest against dengue types 1 and 2. In people who had never had dengue, protection against type 3 was lower and protection against type 4 could not be measured because there were too few cases. There is no efficacy data in adults, only antibody studies, which showed adults respond to the vaccine in the same way children do. ATAGI is upfront about all of this and so are we. Qdenga reduces your risk substantially. It does not remove it, and it does not replace repellent.
Is Qdenga safe, and who should not have it?
The common side effects are the usual ones: a sore arm, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and sometimes a fever, mostly mild and gone within a few days. Because it is a live vaccine, Qdenga must not be given to anyone whose immune system is significantly weakened, including people on immunosuppressive treatment or about to start it, and it is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Women who could become pregnant are advised to use contraception for a month after each dose. Anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose or to an ingredient cannot have it.
Serious allergic reactions have been reported after Qdenga overseas, more often than with most vaccines, so as with every injectable vaccine we ask you to stay for 15 minutes afterwards. If you have had dengue recently, ATAGI suggests waiting about six months before vaccinating. An older dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, was linked to worse disease in people who had never had dengue. That problem has not been seen with Qdenga after millions of doses worldwide.
How do I fit two doses around my trip?
The full course takes three months, so the ideal time to start is 3 to 4 months before you fly. That is longer than the six weeks we usually suggest for travel vaccines, so if dengue is on your radar, book early. If you are leaving sooner than that, one dose before you travel is still worthwhile. In the trial a single dose gave about 82% protection over the following three months, and real world outbreak data found a single dose cut symptomatic dengue by more than half. We will book your second dose before you leave, either for when you are home or, for long stays, we can advise on getting it at your destination.
Getting the dengue vaccine in Brisbane
From mid October 2026 Travel Doctors Brisbane will hold Qdenga in stock at Oxford Street Medical Centre in Bulimba, so there is no script to fill at a pharmacy and no waiting on an order. All of our doctors can assess you for it, and we vaccinate children from 4 years of age in line with the TGA registration. It is part of a normal travel consultation, where we look at your whole trip rather than one vaccine, and the vaccine itself is charged separately on the day. Bring your itinerary, your vaccination records and a note of any past dengue illness.
See our destination health advice for your country, browse our travel health services, and book your consultation. And whatever you decide about the vaccine, pack the repellent. Aedes mosquitoes bite through the day, so DEET or picaridin, long loose clothing and screened or air conditioned rooms are still your first line of defence.
This article is general information only and was written from the ATAGI statement on the clinical use of Qdenga (24 September 2026), the TGA product information and consumer medicine information, and the World Health Organization dengue fact sheet. It does not replace personalised medical advice. Vaccine recommendations change, so always confirm with a travel health professional before you travel.