One dose of two-dose cholera vaccine enough for protection: WHO
2 min read . Updated: 19 Oct 2022, 08:04 PM IST
Premium- World Health Organisation (WHO) decided to suspend the two dose vaccination for cholera and replace it with one dose
Due to the shortage of cholera vaccines, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has decided to temporarily suspend the standard two-dose vaccination regimen for the disease and replace it with a single dose. The decision came after a rise in the death toll from various countries, due to the disease which spreads through contact with contaminated water and food.
The disease usually is asymptomatic, but can cause acute diarrhea if turned serious and can kill in hours if left untreated.
"The exceptional decision reflects the grave state of the cholera vaccine stockpile," WHO said while taking the decision at a time when countries like Haiti, Syria, and Malawi are fighting large outbreaks of the deadly disease.
Haiti confirmed 32 cases and 18 deaths from cholera on 9 October, while many cases still await confirmation.
"The pivot in strategy will allow for the doses to be used in more countries, at a time of the unprecedented rise in cholera outbreaks worldwide," WHO said in a statement.
According to the health body, one dose of vaccination is also enough to fight against the disease, although the duration of protection tends to reduce and is even shorter in the case of children.
Amid the global economic crises, the world is witnessing a rise in the number of cholera cases, especially in places of poverty and conflict. The fatality rate is also rising sharply in the 29 countries from where the disease has been reported so far.
In war-torn Syria, where people are living in crowded camps, the disease has killed at least 33 people so far.
The decision from WHO also came as the cases of the Covid-19 virus are on the rise again due to the advent of new variants of the virus. India is witnessing several cases of the two subvariants of the Omicron variant and the Union Health Minister presided over a high-level meeting on Tuesday, to take stock of the situation.
With inputs from Reuters
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