Sri Lanka, July 28 -- Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni stated that an application has been submitted requesting permission to procure the dengue vaccine for the country.

The Deputy Minister said that if a person receives the vaccine prior to contracting dengue, it offers a degree of protection, noting that this vaccine is relatively new to the world. He further stated that while it is difficult to predict how successful the vaccine will be, many countries have already taken steps to acquire it.

According to the National Dengue Control Unit, 82,000 dengue cases and 61 deaths have been reported so far during the year.

The unit stated that out of the 61 dengue deaths, 47 were of women, and that women account for 45 percent of t...