WHO´s SAGE meeting March 2026: Key updates on COVID-19, Typhoid, and Polio vaccination strategies

  Typhoid conjugate vaccine: primary target groups SAGE recommends introducing TCV in countries or settings with high or very high typhoid incidence, or with a substantial burden of antimicrobial-resistant S. Typhi; countries with medium incidence may also introduce TCV if case fatality is high. The deliberations emphasized using adjusted incidence (not crude notification data), local AMR patterns, and case fatality information to judge where TCV will yield the greatest impact and be cost-effective. Typhoid conjugate vaccine: booster dose policy For children who received a primary TCV dose between 9 and 24 months in very high incidence settings, SAGE advises considering a booster dose around 5 years of age because of observed waning protection, especially in those vaccinated before 2 years. In other incidence settings where TCV is given before 24 months, a booster may be added if local data show waning protection in vaccinated cohorts, particularly where typhoid case fatality or AMR burden is...