The Hindu Editorial (On guard) – Jul 25, 2026
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The Hindu Editorial (On guard) – Jul 25, 2026:
- guard (noun) – vigilance, watchfulness, alertness, wariness.
- on guard (phrase) – alert and ready to respond to possible danger, trouble, or unexpected situations; vigilant, watchful, alert, on the lookout.
- dengue (noun) – a debilitating viral disease of the tropics, transmitted by mosquitoes.
- vaccine (noun) – a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases; inoculation, immunization, jab.
- affordable (adjective) – inexpensive or reasonably priced; cheap, low-cost, reasonably priced, budget-friendly.
- at greatest risk (phrase) – highly vulnerable, most susceptible, most exposed, in extreme danger.
- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) (noun) – the national regulatory body for Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices responsible for the approval and regulation of drugs; national drug regulator.
- Qdenga (noun) – a live-attenuated dengue vaccine developed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to protect against all four dengue serotypes; Takeda dengue vaccine, dengue shot.
- licensing (noun) – the process of granting an official permit or authorization; authorization, certification, permission, approval.
- World Health Organization (WHO) (noun) – a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health; UN health agency, global health body.
- prequalification (noun) – the process of evaluating a product or entity against specified standards before formal approval or global procurement; preliminary assessment, initial screening, prior approval.
- vis-à-vis (preposition) – in relation to or compared with; regarding, concerning, with respect to, in comparison with.
- burden (noun) – a severe or heavy problem or responsibility; load, strain, hardship, weight.
- although (conjunction) – in spite of the fact that; even though, though, despite the fact that, while.
- surveillance (noun) – close observation or monitoring, especially of a disease outbreak; monitoring, observation, tracking, scrutiny.
- Aedes (noun) – a genus of mosquitoes originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, known for transmitting dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses.
- expand (verb) – to increase, spread.
- semi-urban (adjective) – having both urban and rural characteristics; peri-urban, suburban, developing urban, partially urbanized.
- conventional (adjective) – traditional, standard, ordinary, normal.
- vector (noun) – an organism, typically a biting insect or tick, that transmits a disease or parasite from one animal or plant to another; carrier, transmitter, disease carrier, disease bearer.
- sustain (verb) – maintain, prolong, keep up, continue.
- antigenically (adverb) – in a way that relates to an antigen (a substance that induces an immune response); immunologically, biologically, pathogenically.
- distinct (adjective) – separate, different, discrete, dissimilar.
- serotype (noun) – a distinct variation within a species of bacteria or virus or among immune cells of different individuals; virus strain, viral variant, microorganism subtype, pathogen variation.
- possibility (noun) – chance, likelihood, probability, prospect.
- second infection (noun) – getting infected by a pathogen for a subsequent time; reinfection, subsequent infection, recurrent infection, repeat infection.
- antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) (noun) – a phenomenon in which binding of a virus to suboptimal antibodies enhances its entry into host cells, leading to increased viral replication and disease severity; viral enhancement, antibody-mediated worsening.
- mean (verb) – entail, involve, imply, signify.
- effective (adjective) – successful in producing a desired or intended result; successful, efficacious, productive, potent.
- shot (noun) – an injection of a vaccine or drug; injection, jab, dose, immunization.
- induce (verb) – to bring about or give rise to; cause, produce, effect, trigger.
- immunity (noun) – the ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies; resistance, protection, defense, invulnerability.
- at once (phrase) – at the same time; simultaneously, all together, concurrently, at one time.
- nearly (adverb) – almost, practically, virtually, just about.
- derail (verb) – to obstruct or completely halt the progress of something; ruin, thwart, disrupt, wreck.
- licensed (adjective) – authorized, certified, permitted, approved.
- Dengvaxia (noun) – the first approved dengue vaccine, developed by Sanofi Pasteur, which faced significant controversy due to safety risks in individuals who had not previously contracted dengue.
- controversy (noun) – dispute, debate, disagreement, uproar.
- prompt (verb) – cause, generate, elicit, trigger.
- regulatory (adjective) – controlling, supervisory, governing, monitoring.
- caution (noun) – carefulness, wariness, prudence, vigilance.
- Takeda (noun) – Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company responsible for developing the Qdenga dengue vaccine.
- differ (verb) – to be unlike or dissimilar; vary, diverge, disagree, contrast.
- unlike (preposition) – different from; in contrast to, as opposed to, completely different from, not similar to.
- administer (verb) – to dispense or apply a remedy or drug; dispense, provide, apply, give.
- screening (noun) – testing, examination, checking, assessment.
- DENV-2 (noun) – Dengue virus serotype 2; one of the four distinct but closely related virus serotypes that cause dengue fever; dengue strain 2.
- DENV-1 (noun) – Dengue virus serotype 1; a distinct variation of the dengue virus; dengue strain 1.
- uncertainty (noun) – the state of being uncertain or unsure; unpredictability, unreliability, doubtfulness, ambiguity.
- regarding (preposition) – concerning; in respect of; about, with respect to, concerning, relating to.
- DENV-3 (noun) – Dengue virus serotype 3; a specific strain of the dengue virus; dengue strain 3.
- DENV-4 (noun) – Dengue virus serotype 4; one of the four types of dengue virus; dengue strain 4.
- prior (adjective) – previous, preceding, earlier, advance.
- exposure (noun) – the state of having no protection from something harmful, like a virus; vulnerability, subjection, contact, susceptibility.
- concerning (adjective) – worrying, alarming, disturbing, troubling.
- common (adjective) – prevalent, widespread, frequent, ubiquitous.
- prevalence (noun) – the fact or condition of being prevalent or widespread; commonness, frequency, pervasiveness, ubiquity.
- monsoon (noun) – rainy season.
- impact (noun) – effect, consequence, repercussion, result.
- substantially (adverb) – to a great or significant extent; significantly, considerably, materially, largely.
- anticipate (verb) – expect, predict, foresee, forecast.
- recipient (noun) – receiver, beneficiary, donee, awardee.
- dengue-naïve (adjective) – referring to an individual who has never been infected with the dengue virus before; uninfected, previously unexposed, virus-free.
- clinical data (noun) – safety and efficacy information generated from medical trials on human subjects; trial results, medical evidence, research findings, trial statistics.
- suggest (verb) – to put forward for consideration; indicate, hint, imply, propose.
- unevenly (adverb) – unequally, inconsistently, irregularly, disproportionately.
- seronegative (adjective) – giving a negative result in a test of blood serum, indicating the absence of specific antibodies against a pathogen; antibody-negative, unexposed, uninfected.
- encounter (verb) – to unexpectedly be faced with or experience something, like a disease; face, confront, meet, experience.
- suffice (verb) – to be enough or adequate; be sufficient, do, serve, answer.
- illness (noun) – disease, sickness, ailment, malady.
- mobile (adjective) – travelling, wandering, roaming, itinerant.
- migrant (adjective) – wandering, travelling, moving, transient.
- workforce (noun) – employees, staff, personnel, workers.
- fall through the cracks (phrase) – being missed, neglected, or ignored by a system that is supposed to provide care or protection; being overlooked, being neglected, slipping through the net, being forgotten.
- expose (verb) – to make someone subject to a risk or harmful condition; subject, make vulnerable, put at risk, uncover.
- concern (noun) – worry, apprehension, distress, unease.
- Tetrivalent Immunization against Dengue Efficacy Study (TIDES) trial (noun) – a massive, multi-year Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the long-term efficacy and safety of Takeda’s Qdenga dengue vaccine.
- negative efficacy (noun) – a situation in clinical trials where receiving a vaccine or treatment increases the risk or severity of the disease compared to a placebo; adverse effectiveness, detrimental effect, harmful outcome, reverse efficacy.
- hospitalisation (noun) – admission to a hospital for treatment; institutionalization, hospital care, medical confinement, admission.
- tiered (adjective) – layered, graded, leveled, stratified.
- strategy (noun) – a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim; plan, policy, approach, blueprint.
- urban slum (noun) – a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing and poor sanitation; shantytown, impoverished area.
- drainage (noun) – sewerage, wastewater system, draining, sanitation.
- uptake (noun) – the action of taking up or making use of something that is available, such as a vaccine; utilization, consumption, acceptance, adoption.
- negotiate (verb) – discuss terms, bargain, arrange, broker.
- in the end (phrase) – eventually or on reflection; ultimately, finally, eventually, at last.
- tricky (adjective) – difficult, problematic, delicate, complicated.
- rollout (noun) – the official launch or introduction of a new product or service; launch, introduction, release, unveiling.
- no cause for complacency (phrase) – no reason to be smug, self-satisfied, or uncritical about one’s achievements; no room for being overly relaxed, no excuse for negligence, no time to rest, need for continued vigilance.
Note:
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