Preparing for dengue vaccine introduction in ASEAN countries: recommendations from the first ADVA regional workshop

The independent, scientific and educational The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States Dengue Vaccination Advocacy Steering Committee (ADVASC) was established in 2011 to address the practical challenges faced by ASEAN countries as they prepare for the eventual introduction of a dengue vaccine. ADVASC convened a workshop in September 2012 that drew together public health representatives and dengue experts from seven ASEAN countries in order to make practical recommendations to improve current surveillance and diagnostics for dengue to enable countries to assess consistently, and accurately communicate, the impact of a dengue vaccine. The workshop compared surveillance and diagnostic capacity in these ASEAN countries and made recommendations to streamline and harmonize key elements of these systems. In particular, attendees recommended the need for reconciliation and harmonization of the different World Health Organization guidelines, in use in ASEAN countries for case definition and surveillance of dengue.