Currently there are three WHO pre-qualified oral cholera vaccines (OCV): Dukoral®, Shanchol™, and Euvichol®. All three vaccines require two doses for full protection. Dukoral® is administered with a buffer solution that, for adults, requires 150 ml of clean water. Dukoral can be given to all individuals over the age of 2 years. There must be a minimum of 7 days, and no more than 6 weeks, delay between each dose. Children aged 2-5 require a third dose. Dukoral® is mainly used for travellers. Two doses of Dukoral® provide protection against cholera for 2 years. Shanchol™ and Euvichol® are essentially the same vaccine produced by two different manufacturers. They do not require a buffer solution for administration. They are given to all individuals over the age of one year. There must be a minimum of two weeks delay between each dose of these vaccines. Two doses of Shanchol™ and Euvichol® provide protection against cholera for 3 years, while a single dose provides short term protection.

Shanchol™ and Euvichol® are the vaccines currently available for mass vaccination campaigns through the Global OCV Stockpile, which is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. More than 20 million doses of OCVs have been used in mass vaccination campaigns. The campaigns have been implemented in areas experiencing an outbreak, in areas at heightened vulnerability during humanitarian crises, and among populations living in highly endemic areas, known as “hotspots”.

A mix of live, killed and conjugated vaccines are in development that have the potential of providing longer term protection with an easier-to-administer schedules.