Despite the preventive measures already put in place and the possibility of successfully treating the disease, cholera epidemics and resulting deaths are increasing worldwide. This is why the approval by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a new oral vaccine – Euvichol-S, produced by EuBiologics – was welcomed by organizations such as Gavi and Unicef which support the procurement and distribution of vaccines in low-income countries: simpler to produce, but equally effective as formulas already on the market, should help meet the unprecedented demand for vaccines.
Vaccinations to take before leaving on a trip by Anna Lisa Bonfranceschi 28 June 2023
Cholera
Cholera is a disease caused by the intake of water or food contaminated by Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 bacteria present in the faeces of infected people, and it mainly affects the poorest populations on the planet, those who have difficult access to drinking water and in inadequate sanitation. The infection causes acute diarrhea and consequent dehydration: if the body is not supported, death can occur within a few hours.
The WHO estimates that 2.86 million cases and 95 thousand deaths occur every year. And, despite the existence of oral vaccines already available and prevention plans, cholera epidemics and the resulting deaths have been increasing since 2021. The causes, according to experts, include climate change, political conflicts and migration force. The crisis is such that in January 2023 the United Nations body declared a grade 3 emergency, the highest in the classification system. To deal with it, according to the document “Ending Cholera – A Global Roadmap to 2030” which aims to reduce cholera deaths by 90% through preventive campaigns, 670 million doses of oral vaccine would be needed.
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The new vaccine
The new Euvichol-S vaccine, which has just passed WHO prequalification (i.e. the verification of quality, safety and efficacy of a pharmaceutical product) and can therefore be made available worldwide, will help increase the supply of oral vaccines against cholera for 2024. The simplified formulation compared to the previous Euvichol-Plus, in fact, makes it possible to reduce production costs and complexity, thus allowing greater quantities to be obtained in less time (according to forecasts, productivity improves by approximately 40% % compared to Euvichol-Plus). Furthermore, the effectiveness is comparable to that of products already on the market, as verified by a recently published clinical study.
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