Move to make new oral cholera vaccines available

[sajiv]

Move to make new oral cholera vaccines available

NEW DELHI: Representatives of the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Central Department of Bio-technology and the International Vaccine Institute have been engaged in fruitful discussions with leading policymakers on ways to make available and accessible new-generation oral cholera vaccines to prevent and control the mass killer in the country.

The discussions were also attended by representatives of the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the Science and Technology Ministry and the Drugs Controller-General of India as well as the World Health Organisation among other international agencies.

Union Health Minister's adviser N. K. Ganguly said after the discussions: "After 38 years of drought in cholera vaccination and cholera outbreaks no way abating, it is very heartening to know that there is an affordable, orally administered vaccine available now."

Cholera is one of the most dreaded diseases in the world, in some cases leading to death within 24 hours if left untreated. In 2007, WHO recorded 177,963 cholera cases and 4,031 deaths worldwide, while the actual number of cholera-related deaths is estimated to be as high as 120,000 each year.

In India, cholera remains a serious problem, affecting most States despite efforts to improve water, sanitation and case management.

New-generation oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) have been available for more than two decades now. WHO had recommended their use for control of endemic and epidemic cholera since 2002 but they have not been adopted extensively.

Vietnam has produced a cheaper variant, an analysis of which showed that to comply with WHO guidelines the vaccine needs to be re-formulated. That was done, and this improved low-cost oral whole-cell cholera vaccine conforming to international good manufacturing practices and WHO standards for production has been licensed in India after studies in Kolkata and Vietnam showed it to be extremely safe and effective.

The OCV was licensed this past February 24 by the Drugs Controller-General of India. This modified vaccine has been shown to be safe and immunogenic in Phase II clinical trials on Vietnamese adults and on Indian children and adults as well as safe and effective in Phase III trials on adults and children.

The Indian studies were conducted at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) in Kolkata, a constituent of the Indian Council of Medical Research, in collaboration with the International Vaccine Institute.

NICED (Kolkata) director G. B. Nair said: "Cholera, the acutely dehydrating, watery diarrhoeal disease, is caused by intestinal infection with vibrio cholerae. Severe cases are characterised by profuse watery diarrhoea and vomiting. Cholera outbreaks are associated with high case fatality rates."