The only single-dose oral vaccine approved in Canada to protect against cholera is now available commercially through travel health professionals in this country. Distributed by leading global travel vaccine supplier Bavarian Nordic, VAXCHORA helps deliver protection against the sudden intestinal infection within 10 days after a single oral dose.

While most commonly transmitted by consuming contaminated water, cholera may also be acquired from eating contaminated raw or undercooked food, especially fish and shellfish.

Health Canada says Canadian are most at risk of getting cholera through travel, particularly in parts of Asia, Africa, and, to a lesser extent, Central and South America. For approximately one in 10 people infected with cholera, a severe presentation can rapidly cause severe dehydration and death if left untreated^.

Between 1.3 million and 4 million cases of cholera occur worldwide each year, but the World Health Organization estimates that only 5-10% of actual worldwide cases of cholera are reported.

Besides Canada, VAXCHORA is approved in Australia, the UK, the European Union, and is the only FDA-approved cholera vaccine in the US. Users are recommended to obtain a doctor’s advice before using.

In addition to VAXCHORA, the Bavarian Nordic Canada travel health portfolio includes a typhoid vaccine. The company plans to launch a rabies vaccine in the coming months.

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