Vaccine confers long-term protection against cholera

A clinical study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases demonstrates for the first time that an oral cholera vaccine (Shanchol) provides sustained protection against cholera in humans for up to five years, reports EurekAlert.

The study showed the vaccine had a protective efficacy of 65% over a five-year period. The landmark study was a collaboration between scientists from the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) an international organization based in Seoul, South Korea, and the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, (NICED), an institute under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) of India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The oral cholera vaccine (OCV) contains strains of killed cholera bacteria that have been previously shown to be safe in humans and is administered through a two-dose regimen. The vaccine was specifically developed for use in developing countries through a public-private partnership led by IVI with support from the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.