Breaking News: World Health Organization Prequalifies Euvichol-S Cholera Vaccine to Combat Global Vaccine Scarcity
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently prequalified the Euvichol-S cholera vaccine on April 19, in an effort to address the global vaccine scarcity. This new vaccine is administered orally and is said to be as effective as existing options, but with a simpler formula. It is the third type of cholera vaccine to receive prequalification by WHO, following Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus. The agency hopes that this new vaccine will increase production capacity, aiding in disease control and alleviating the global cholera vaccine shortage that has been ongoing since October 2022.
The number of cholera cases has been on the rise globally since January 2023, with more than 824,000 cases and 5,900 deaths reported. The Middle East and Africa have seen the highest number of cholera patients. The WHO attributes the outbreak to increased global temperatures, which has led to a longer lifespan of disease-causing bacteria, resulting in the highest death rate from cholera in a decade.
In January 2024, countries facing outbreaks requested around 79 million doses of the vaccine, but stockpiles continued to dwindle. The world previously had two cholera vaccine manufacturers, but one of them, Shantha Biotechnics, ceased production at the end of 2022, leaving only one supplier and contributing to the supply shortage. Vietnam currently utilizes the mORCVAX cholera vaccine, which has proven highly effective in disease prevention domestically researched and produced. The vaccine is administered orally to children aged 2 years and above with two doses taken 14 days apart repeated every two years or before epidemic seasons.
Dr. Bach Thi Chinh
