WHO PREQUALIFIES NEW ORAL VACCINE FOR CHOLERA; HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified a new oral vaccine for Cholera, an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated. According to a WHO statement, the inactivated oral vaccine Euvichol-S has a similar efficacy to existing vaccines but a simplified formulation, allowing opportunities to rapidly increase production capacity.
“The new vaccine is the third product of the same family of vaccines we have for cholera in our WHO prequalification list,” said Dr Rogerio Gaspar, Director of the WHO Department for Regulation and Prequalification. “The new prequalification is hoped to enable a rapid increase in production and supply which many communities battling with cholera outbreaks urgently need.”
WHO prequalification list already includes Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus inactivated oral cholera vaccines produced by EuBiologicals Co., Ltd, Republic of South Korea, which also produces the new vaccine Euvichol-S.
“Vaccines provide the fastest intervention to prevent, limit and control cholera outbreaks but supplies have been at the lowest point amidst countries facing dire shortcomings in other areas of cholera prevention and management such as safe water, hygiene and sanitation,” the global health agency said in a statement.
In 2022, 473,000 cholera cases were reported which is double the number from 2021. A further increase of cases by 700,000 was estimated for 2023. Currently, 23 countries are reporting cholera outbreaks with the most severe impacts seen in Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
What is Euvichol-S?
Euvichol-S is a simplified formulation of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) Euvichol-Plus. The vaccine is manufactured by South Korea-based EuBiologics Co., Ltd. In December 2023, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and EuBiologics Co Ltd. announce the licensure of the oral vaccine for export on December 19, 2023 by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (KMFDS).
According to a statement, the licensure of Euvichol-S is the culmination of a comprehensive phase 3 clinical trial conducted by IVI. The IVI claims that it can pave the way for a potential solution to the critical shortage of OCV worldwide.
EuBiologics is the largest supplier of oral cholera vaccine in the world, representing more than 80% market share and able to produce up to 50 million doses after expansion is completed in2023, the company claims. According to media reports, with the addition of Euvichol-S, EuBiologics is poised to ramp up its OCV production to 52 million doses including more than 15 million doses of Euvichol-S in 2024.
What is Cholera?
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. According to WHO, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. Researchers have estimated that each year there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of cholera and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths worldwide due to cholera. The disease is caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium.
What are the symptoms of Cholera?
Most people exposed to the cholera bacterium (Vibrio cholerae) don’t become ill and don’t know they’ve been infected. According to WHO, the bacteria are present in the faeces of infected people for 1–10 days after infection and they can still infect others through contaminated water.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dehydration
How to prevent Cholera?
- Wash your hands with soap and water frequently
- Drink only safe water
- Eat food that’s completely cooked and hot
- Stick to fruits and vegetables that you can peel yourself