The four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1-4) are a global health burden with 100 million symptomatic infections per year focused in the tropics. Primary DENV infection leads to lasting immunity against the infecting serotype but the resulting antibodies put individuals at risk for worse clinical outcomes when subsequently infected with a different serotype. This phenomenon renders DENV vaccine design complex as sub-optimal immune response can put vaccinated individuals at higher risk for severe disease. The second live-attenuated, tetravalent DENV vaccine is currently being evaluated for clinical use in DENV endemic U.S. territories. Evaluation requires understanding the history of DENV vaccines and weighing the risks versus benefits of licensing an unbalanced DENV vaccine.
Cameron holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from UNC, and is a UNC MSTP MS4