Cholera vaccine yields 5-year protection, finds acceptance

A study released recently shows that an oral cholera vaccine made in India is the first such vaccine to offer significant protection for 5 years, while another new report says the vaccine was well-accepted in an immunization campaign last year in the African country of Guinea. The vaccine, Shanchol, is made by Shantha Biotechnics and was endorsed by the World Health Organization in 2011. It is a modified version of an earlier vaccine, Dukoral, made by the Swedish company SBL Vaccin AB. Control of cholera has relied mainly on sanitation and safe drinking water. Despite the availability of cholera vaccines in recent years, concerns about cost, acceptability, and implementation have discouraged their use, as noted in the new reports. Five-year study The 5-year vaccine trial was conducted by a large international team in a slum area of Kolkata, India. The researchers used a double-blind, placebo controlled design to assess the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing...