Vaxchora: The First FDA-Approved Cholera Vaccination in the United States

Vaxchora is the first vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prophylaxis of cholera infection. Cholera, a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that occurs in the intestines and causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, has a low incidence in the U.S., but a high incidence in Africa, Southeast Asia, and other locations around the world. These areas draw travelers from the U.S., so cholera can present in patients who return from visits to these regions. Previous means of prophylaxis included the use of doxycycline for the prevention of traveler's diarrhea, but doxycycline is not specific for cholera. With the approval of Vaxchora, a live attenuated, single-dose, oral suspension vaccine, travelers can now visit these areas with less chance of contracting the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera infections.