Beyond Efficacy: The Complex Journey of Cholera Vaccines in the Real World

14.05.2025 11:45 – 13:45

Despite their excellent safety and efficacy, oral cholera vaccines have been underused in global cholera control efforts. In this talk, Dr. Azman will review the history of cholera vaccines and, drawing on his group’s epidemiological research, explore the complex factors driving their underuse — including a self-reinforcing gap between supply and demand leading to persistent global shortages, misaligned expectations of vaccine impact, weak global surveillance, and evidentiary gaps resulting in unclear vaccination recommendations. He will also discuss how lessons from cholera vaccines can inform strategies for other vaccines targeting neglected diseases of the poor.