A severe shortage of vaccines prevents a worldwide cholera outbreak

Cholera is a deadly, but treatable disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Each year, approximately 15 countries are affected by large-scale outbreaks.

This year, the number has nearly doubled. Right now, there are 29 active outbreaks worldwide while a vaccine is still in development.

Haiti is one of those countries who was hit hardest. Cholera was discovered here at the end of September and since then the prevalence of infection has risen dramatically, but the vaccine is not enough. Many people receive only one dose instead of the two doses that provide long-term protection.

– We have some doses, but we are far from getting doses for everyone, but instead we have to prioritize the particularly vulnerable, says Mia Heidenberg of MSF.

There are a very limited number of manufacturers in the world that produce vaccines and this year the needs are simply too great.

Nurse: Outbreaks are different than before

Mia Heidenberg is a nurse and was in charge of two MSF cholera treatment centers during a previous cholera outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa. The outbreaks we see today vary greatly, she says.

– In Congo-Kinshasa, cholera is an epidemic, which means that cholera is always present in the community, she says.

– Residents got so used to cholera that they got to the treatment center in time. This means that no one died. It is very different from what we see now in places where people are not used to.

Climate change is causing an outbreak of cholera

The worst affected, apart from Haiti, are Syria and Lebanon. It is not known exactly why cholera spreads on such a scale, but something that contributes to the spread of cholera is a result of climate change: drought or floods.

– “There is something else that affects population movements related to conflict,” says Mia Heidenberg.

This is because cholera often spreads in situations of overcrowding and a lack of clean water, adequate waste disposal, and proper latrines.

How do you see cholera outbreaks spreading in the future?

– It is clear that what we are seeing now is very disturbing, says Mia Heidenberg and continues:

We are concerned that it is a growing trend.