New vaccine to help battle cholera

12/04/2008 -- 8:52 PM

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vaccine and Bio-Technology Products No 1 Company (VABIOTECH) has developed a new cholera vaccine that is far superior to existing prophylactics on the market, according to Dr Nguyen Tran Hien, director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. “The new vaccine offers 90 to 100 percent protection after two oral doses in comparison with 60 to 70 percent as with the current vaccine,” said Hien. There have been three outbreaks of cholera in the country since late last year. Hien said the new vaccine could eradicate the disease altogether. VABIOTECH director Prof Nguyen Thu Van told the Vietnam News on April 11 that the company is currently registering the new vaccine under the trademark mORACVAX. “We expect that the Ministry of Health will soon approve the mORACVAX vaccine in the face of the diarrhoea epidemic that has broken out in some 16 provinces and cities nationwide,” said Van. VABIOTECH began developing the new cholera vaccine in early 2006. The company said mORACVAX, in collaboration with the International Vaccine Institute, was successfully tested on 200 people in Vietnam and India in 2006. The new vaccine will cost around 20,000 VND (1.25 USD) per dose – three times higher than the existing cholera vaccine, according to Van. According to the Ministry of Health, there have been more than 1,000 cases of acute diarrhoea – including cholera – since the beginning of the year.-Enditem
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