New oral simplified cholera vaccine gets WHO nod

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced that a new oral vaccine for cholera, Euvichol-S, has received prequalification, offering a simplified formulation with comparable efficacy to existing vaccines and the potential for increased production capacity.

Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, Director of the WHO Department for Regulation and Prequalification, highlighted the significance of this addition to the WHO prequalification list, which already includes Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus inactivated oral cholera vaccines.

Produced by EuBiologicals Co., Ltd, Republic of South Korea, the new vaccine, Euvichol-S, is expected to expedite production and supply, addressing the urgent needs of communities grappling with cholera outbreaks.

Cholera outbreaks continue to pose a significant threat globally, with 473,000 reported cases in 2022, double the number from the previous year. Projections indicate a further increase of 700,000 cases in 2023.

Currently, 23 countries are experiencing cholera outbreaks, with the most severe impacts observed in the Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

While vaccines offer a crucial intervention to prevent and control cholera outbreaks, challenges persist, particularly in countries facing deficiencies in safe water, hygiene, and sanitation infrastructure.