Relevance:
Amid shortage of cholera vaccines ICG decided to temporarily suspend standard two-dose vaccination regimen, using instead a single-dose approach.
About Cholera:
- It is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine.
- Causative organism – Bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
- Symptoms –
- Profuse watery diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Leg cramps
- Transmission –
- Contaminated water or food
- Inadequate sewage treatment
- 3 Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) –
- Dukoral
- Shanchol
- Euvichol-Plus
About ICG:
- Established: 1997
- Aim – To manage and coordinate provision of emergency vaccine supplies and antibiotics to countries during major outbreaks.
- ICG monitors its vaccine security global stock levels for several vaccines including cholera, meningitis and yellow fever to ensure availability of sufficient supply.
- ICG is made up of members from –
- World Health Organisation (WHO)
- United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Reference: Down to Earth
