Serotype skewing and immune imprinting shape response to the tetravalent dengue virus Qdenga vaccine.

Qdenga vaccine induces serotype-skewed antibody responses with only 8% of DENV-naive individuals developing balanced tetravalent immunity.

• Why it matters: Understanding immune imprinting and vaccine design limitations is crucial for improving dengue vaccine efficacy and long-term protection, especially in naive populations.
• What they did: Longitudinal immunological profiling of 110 adults, including older adults, revealed serostatus-dependent, serotype-specific antibody responses, with limited neutralization breadth and no enhancement after the second dose.
• The result: Findings highlight that immune imprinting and vaccine backbone restrict response breadth, informing strategies for better vaccine design, booster development, and deployment to achieve balanced, durable immunity.