A new milestone in the fight against cholera was reached on April 12th as the World Health Organization (WHO) granted prequalification to a groundbreaking oral vaccine. Known as Euvichol-S, this inactivated oral vaccine boasts efficacy comparable to existing options while offering a simplified formulation, potentially revolutionizing production capacity.

Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, Director of the WHO Department for Regulation and Prequalification, hailed the development: “The new vaccine is the third product of the same family of vaccines we have for cholera in our WHO prequalification list. The new prequalification is hoped to enable a rapid increase in production and supply, which many communities battling with cholera outbreaks urgently need.”

EuBiologicals Co., Ltd, Republic of South Korea, the same company behind the existing Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus vaccines, is also the producer of Euvichol-S, further bolstering confidence in its efficacy and safety.

Cholera outbreaks pose a significant global health challenge, with vaccines offering the swiftest means of prevention and control. However, amidst dire shortages in crucial areas like safe water, hygiene, and sanitation, the availability of vaccines has been limited, exacerbating the crisis.

In 2022, WHO reported 473,000 cholera cases, doubling the figure from the previous year. Alarmingly, an estimated additional 700,000 cases were projected for 2023. Presently, 23 countries are grappling with cholera outbreaks, with severe impacts observed in nations such as the Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.