Low-Cost Vietnamese Vaccine for Cholera

A new vaccine against cholera that can be made in Vietnam for about US$0.20 a dose has shown promising results in two clinical trials in Vietnam. The trials were conducted by scientists from Viet Nam, Sweden, the United States, the Republic of Korea, South Korea, and the World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland).

The two trials involved about 144 adults who were 17-25 years old and about 103 children who were 1-12 years old. The participants were divided into three groups and given two doses of either the locally produced vaccine, its Swedish counterpart, or placebo, with the doses separated by two weeks. The trial in children began only after the adult trial showed no important side effects. The researchers found that the vaccine was associated with no side effects and caused a better immune response in children than adults, for reasons that were not clear.

The responses were comparable to the responses to a Swedish vaccine that has been licensed for use in several European countries. Further studies are needed, say the researchers, to evaluate the clinical protection of the new vaccine.

Work was begun in Vietnam about 15 years ago on the production of a killed oral cholera whole-cell vaccine that could be used in Viet Nam's public health program. This vaccine was later modified so that it could also counter a new form of epidemic cholera that had emerged and is the vaccine used in the trial.




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