Some Guinean residents seek cholera vaccine; Outbreak in Sierra Leone winding down

Published on September 15, 2012 at 4:22 AM · No Comments

With nearly 6,000 reported cholera cases, including more than 100 deaths, Guinea is facing the worst cholera outbreak since 2007, and "some residents of the capital Conakry are clamoring to be vaccinated," IRIN reports. "The cholera vaccine has shown promising results in the handful of communities where it has been used: none of those vaccinated have been infected," the news service writes, noting, "For now cholera vaccination is not generally done on a large scale." According to IRIN, "WHO and partner agencies are planning a cholera vaccine stockpile for epidemic control and looking at the possibility of introducing the two-dose oral vaccine into national immunization programs in endemic areas," but the agency also "says such stockpiles should not detract from other prevention efforts: detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cases with oral rehydration and antibiotics; establishment of a safe water supply; implementation of adequate waste disposal, sanitation, and hygiene; and communication and social mobilization."

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