[Diarrhea and vaccines: current developments]

Diarrhoea is a main concern for travellers, populations of developing countries and children. Causative pathogens are numerous. An efficient vaccine against cholera is available, also offering a 50% cross-protection against E. Coli enterotoxin (ETEC), however its efficacy is only 23% against all-causes traveller's diarrhoea. Rotavirus can be responsible for severe diarrhoea in infants but rarely causes traveller's diarrhoea. Two new vaccines being under development appear effective and well-tolerated but too expensive for developing countries which most need them. To date, the live oral Ty21a vaccine remains frequently prescribed in Switzerland, with limited indications and suboptimal efficacy. A new oral vaccine is under development.