A new oral cholera vaccine was prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) on April 12. The inactivated oral vaccine Euvichol-S is as effective as existing vaccines, but its formulation has been simplified – which will ensure increased production capacity.
“The new vaccine is the third product from the same family of cholera vaccines on our prequalification list,” said Dr. Gaspar, Director of WHO’s Department of Regulation and Prequalification. “We hope this new prequalification will enable a rapid increase in production and supply, which many communities struggling with cholera outbreaks urgently need. »
The WHO prequalification list already includes the oral cholera vaccines Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus, produced by EuBiologicals Co. Ltd (Republic of South Korea), which manufactures the new vaccine Euvichol-S.
Vaccination is the quickest way to prevent, limit, and contain cholera epidemics. However, supply is at its lowest in a context marked by serious shortages in other areas of prevention and care, such as access to drinking water, hygiene services, and sanitation.
In 2022, 473,000 cases of cholera were reported to the WHO – twice as many as a year earlier. This number has increased further in 2023, with estimates pointing to 700,000 cases. Currently, 23 countries are reporting cholera outbreaks, with the most affected countries being Comoros, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.