Qdenga now available in Australia for dengue protection
05 Oct 2026
ATAGI recommends Qdenga for people aged four years and over who have had confirmed or likely dengue infection and are travelling to dengue-endemic areas. It is also recommended for people without a previous history of dengue who plan to make prolonged or repeated trips to areas where dengue transmission occurs.
For people aged four years and over who have never had dengue and are planning a short trip, vaccination can be considered after an individual assessment of the possible benefits and risks.
Qdenga is given as two 0.5 mL injections, with the doses given at least 12 weeks apart.
ATAGI says both doses are needed to achieve the best level and duration of protection. There is currently not enough evidence to recommend booster doses.
Dengue is the fastest-growing communicable disease globally, with an estimated 100 million symptomatic infections each year.
In Australia, almost all notified dengue infections are acquired overseas by people travelling to countries where the virus is circulating.
Indonesia, Thailand, India, Vietnam and Fiji are among the 10 most visited destinations for Australian travellers and have frequent or ongoing dengue transmission. Together, these destinations account for almost one-third of short overseas trips taken by Australian residents.
Australia recorded 2381 dengue notifications in 2024, the highest number on record. This fell to 1863 notifications in 2025.
Dr Peter Markey, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Public Health, said people who had previously had dengue should consider vaccination when travelling to areas where the virus is common.
He said vaccination may be less relevant for someone without previous dengue who is taking a short trip, but could be appropriate for people planning to live in or make longer-term visits to dengue-affected areas.
There are four different dengue virus serotypes. Infection with one serotype provides lifelong protection against that particular serotype.
Severe illness can occur with any dengue infection. Dr Markey said a second infection with a different serotype can carry a higher risk of serious illness.
He said developing dengue vaccines has been challenging. An earlier dengue vaccine was only suitable for people who had previously been infected, while Qdenga can be used for people with and without a previous history of dengue, depending on ATAGI recommendations.
Dengue remains uncommon in Australia, but outbreaks have occurred in northern and central Queensland and the Torres Strait.
These outbreaks have followed the arrival of dengue through infected travellers returning from overseas, followed by local transmission.
ATAGI also advises that Qdenga may be used during a local dengue outbreak when recommended by public health authorities.
Dr Markey said a specific policy would be needed to determine whether people living in affected Australian areas should routinely receive the vaccine.
Qdenga now available in Australia for dengue protection
Source: Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI); RACGP newsGP; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW); World Health Organization (WHO)