50 million Cholera Vaccine Inadequate to Prevent Outbreak, Urgent Life-saving Measures Require

 Global production capacity in 2024 forecast  that "37-50 million vaccine doses will likely continue to be inadequate to serve the needs of millions of people directly affected by cholera", this is because "Only one manufacturer, EuBiologics, currently produces the vaccine, and while the company is doing its utmost to maximize output, more doses are needed". 

"Currently, new manufacturers are not expected to join the market before 2025; they must be fast-tracked. The same urgency and innovation that we saw for COVID-19 must be applied to cholera".

The worrying gap in the number of available vaccine doses, compared with the level of current need, puts unprecedented pressure on the global stockpile of vaccines, World Health Organization ( WHO).

The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision however sought urgent fast-tracking of life-saving measures, to stem an unprecedented multi-year upsurge in cholera cases worldwide.

Measures including funding access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, testing and detecting outbreaks quickly, improving quality of and access to healthcare, and fast-tracking additional production of affordable oral cholera vaccine (OCV) doses to better prevent cases.

The  International Coordinating Group (ICG) who is in charge of managing the global cholera vaccine stockpile includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF and WHO. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, finances the vaccine stockpile and the delivery of OCV.

Members of the ICG called on countries to take urgent steps to ensure their populations have access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation services, and the information critical to prevent cholera’s spread.

In Nigeria, "As of 28th January 2024, a total of 169 suspected cases including 2 deaths (CFR 1.2%) have been reported from 2 states, of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, age groups <5 years are mostly affected, followed by the age groups 5 - 14 years in aggregate of both males and females, of all suspected cases, 52% are males and 48% are females. Bayelsa (144 cases) accounts for 85% of all suspected cases in the country of the 2 States that have reported cases of cholera",   

"Southern Ijaw LGA (81 cases) in Bayelsa State accounts for 48% of all suspected cases reported in the country, Cross River (25 cases), accounts for 15% of the suspected cases this year", 

Nigeria Centre for Disease and Prevention( NCDC) Cholera Situation Report Monthly ".

Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the toxigenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 or O139. An estimated 1.3 to 4 million people around the world get cholera each year and 21,000 to 143,000 people die from it. People who get cholera often have mild symptoms or no symptoms, but cholera can be severe. Approximately 1 in 10 people who get sick with cholera will develop severe symptoms such as watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these people, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours, ( NCDC).