'Delhi belly' vaccine licensed only for cholera, says European agency

Health Editor,Jeremy Laurance
Wednesday 19 May 2004 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Cholera vaccine that also offers protection against "Delhi belly," the traveller's diarrhoea that ruins thousands of holidays every year, becomes available in pharmacies today.

But the vaccine, which is taken as a drink in two doses at least a week before departure, was granted a licence in Europe last month only for cholera, against which it offers 85 per cent protection. The European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA), based in London, refused to license Dukoral fordiarrhoea, despite 20 countries including Canada and New Zealand already approving.

Drug companies believe the misery caused by an upset stomach on holiday will create a market worth up to US$400m (£224m) a year. Dukoral is the first effective vaccine against traveller's diarrhoea to be brought to market. Rival vaccines are in development, but developers say it could be four or five years before they are on the market.

Jane Zuckerman, the medical director of the travel health centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London, said the EMEA wanted further clinical trials before licensing it because some of the data was 10 years old. "It's bizarre. It means we are not in synchrony with other countries. It is bureaucratic and not a sensible decision by the EMEA," she said.

Dr Zuckerman said she and many of her colleagues in travel medicine were likely to prescribe the vaccine for traveller's diarrhoea, which is permitted at the doctor's discretion, even though it can only be promoted as a vaccine for cholera.

"There are many causes of diarrhoea but Dukoral provides good protection against the most common cause [enterotoxigenic E Coli]. It should be used with prudence depending what the traveller is doing, how long they are away for and what the purpose of the trip is. If they are travelling within Europe it is unlikely to be justified," she said.

Dukoral was developed in Sweden a decade ago by SBL.Dukoral, which costs £23.42 for two doses in the UK, is now the biggest selling vaccine among travellers in Sweden and Norway. British travellers are more likely to have diarrhoea abroad than other Europeans.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in