How can I reduce my risk of dengue fever?

How can I reduce my risk of dengue fever?

The two main ways to protect yourself from dengue are through avoiding mosquito bites and vaccination.

Mosquito protection

The best way to reduce your risk of dengue fever is to protect yourself from mosquito bites:

• Use EPA-registered insect repellents that contain 20% to 30% DEET or other ingredients known to help keep Aedes mosquitos away.
• Cover exposed skin outdoors, especially at night when mosquitos are more likely to be around.
• Remove standing water (buckets or barrels, bird baths, old tires that may hold rainwater) and fill low spots where water can pool.
• Keep mosquitos outside of your home by repairing holes in screens and keeping windows and doors closed if possible.
• Use mosquito netting at night in areas where dengue is common.
• If you’re pregnant, avoid traveling to areas where dengue is common if possible.
• When traveling, be sure to check with the CDC to understand if there are any outbreaks of illness in your destination before you leave.

Dengue vaccine

The dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia™) is recommended only if you’ve already had dengue before. It can reduce your risk of severe dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever) if you get a different version of the dengue virus in the future.

Getting the vaccine isn’t recommended if you’ve never had dengue before. Because getting infected once with dengue makes you more likely to get sicker if you get another version of the virus (antibody-dependent enhancement), getting vaccinated before having dengue for the first time can increase your risk of severe dengue. Your healthcare provider will do a blood test to check for signs of a previous dengue infection to confirm that you’ve had dengue before getting the vaccine.

Vaccination isn’t available to everyone. For instance, travelers from the U.S. aren’t yet eligible. Check with your healthcare provider to understand whether you’re eligible for dengue vaccination.