Pakistan has become the first country in the world to introduce a typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) into its immunization program for children to try to contain an ongoing “extensively drug-resistant (XDR)” outbreak of typhoid.
With funding support from Geneva-based GAVI vaccine alliance, on November 15, 2019, the two-week campaign began in urban areas of Sindh, targeting 10 million children between 9 months and 15 years old.
Risk of Superbug
The typhoid outbreak, which hit Pakistan in 2016, has infected more than 10,000 people, mostly in Sindh province. At risk of spreading internationally, it is caused by a so-called “superbug” bacterial strain that has evolved extensively to become drug-resistant.
WHO recommended TCV
WHO recommended the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) for infants and children over six months of age in typhoid-endemic countries in 2018.
Compared to earlier typhoid vaccines, TCV provides longer-lasting protection, requires fewer doses and is suitable for children under two years of age.
These advantages allow delivery through routine infant immunization programs and better protection of young children.
According to the WHO, this new policy will help ensure access to typhoid vaccination in communities most impacted by the disease, which is responsible for nearly 12 million infections and between 128,000 and 161,000 deaths a year.
The new vaccine has been successfully and safely used as part of the outbreak response in Sindh since April 2019. It will be deployed throughout the rest of Pakistan by 2021, according to the statement.
About Thyphoid
- According to the WHO, Typhoid fever is a life-threatening infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.
- It is usually spread through contaminated food or water.
- Symptoms include prolonged fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and constipation or diarrhoea. Some patients may have a rash. Severe cases may lead to serious complications or even death.
- Typhoid fever can be treated with antibiotics although increasing resistance to different types of antibiotics is making treatment more complicated.
- Even when the symptoms go away, people may still be carrying typhoid bacteria, meaning they can spread it to others through their faeces.
- An estimated 11–20 million people get sick from typhoid and between 128 000 and 161 000 people die from it every year. Poor communities and vulnerable groups including children are at highest risk.
