Euvichol-S : WHO Approves New Oral Cholera Vaccine

April 20, 2024

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified a new oral cholera vaccine called Euvichol-S, manufactured by EuBiologics Co., Ltd. in South Korea. The vaccine has a similar efficacy to existing cholera vaccines but features a simplified formulation that allows for faster and more cost-effective production. This prequalification is expected to increase the global supply of oral cholera vaccines (OCV) and help combat the ongoing global surge in cholera outbreaks.

About Euvichol-S Vaccine

Euvichol-S is a simplified version of the existing Euvichol-Plus vaccine, also produced by EuBiologics. The new formulation reduces the number of vaccine components while maintaining its effectiveness against key cholera serogroups.
This simplification lowers production costs and complexity, enabling larger volumes to be produced more quickly. The development of Euvichol-S is a collaboration between EuBiologics, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Recent Global Cholera Situation

Cholera cases have been on the rise globally since 2021, with high case fatality rates despite the availability of simple, effective, and affordable treatment.
In 2022, 473,000 cholera cases were reported to the WHO, double the number from 2021.
A further increase of 700,000 cases is estimated for 2023.
Currently, 23 countries are reporting cholera outbreaks, with the most severe impacts seen in Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Importance of Oral Cholera Vaccines

Vaccines provide the fastest intervention to prevent, limit, and control cholera outbreaks.
However, the global supply of oral cholera vaccines has been strained due to the recent spike in demand from affected countries.
This recent result is expected to help address this shortage by increasing the overall supply of OCV available in 2024.
Approximately 50 million doses are now forecasted to be available to the global stockpile this year, compared to 38 million in 2023.

About World Health Organization (WHO)

Established: 7 April 1948
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Member States: 194 countries
Objective: Attainment of the highest possible level of health by all people
Focuses on global health issues like communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health, and emergency response
Publishes the World Health Report and the World Health Statistics annually

Future Outlook of Euvichol-S

Euvichol-S represents a significant step in the fight against the ongoing global cholera crisis. With increased vaccine supply and continued efforts from partners and affected countries, there is hope for better control and prevention of cholera outbreaks in the future.

However, it is important to note that vaccines are just one part of a comprehensive approach to cholera management, which also includes improving access to safe water, hygiene, and sanitation.

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