Shortage of cholera vaccine forces temporarily shift to one-dose strategy amid rising outbreaks: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it will temporarily shift to a one-dose strategy from the standard two-dose vaccination regimen for cholera due to vaccine shortages and rising outbreaks worldwide. The WHO in a statement on Wednesday said that the pivot in strategy will allow for the doses to be used in more countries.

The WHO’s emergencies director Mike Ryan told that the change in strategy was a sign of the scale of the crisis caused by a lack of focus on safe sanitation and immunization for all at risk. The statement highlighted that 29 countries had reported cholera cases in 2022, with Haiti, Syria and Malawi fighting large outbreaks of the deadly disease.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by bacteria found in contaminated water. The disease affects millions worldwide every year.