Emergency deployment of oral cholera vaccine for the Rohingya in Bangladesh

Cholera is a threat to vulnerable populations caught in humanitarian emergencies. WHO has recommended that inactivated oral cholera vaccines (OCVs), in conjunction with provision of appropriate rehydration therapy, clean water, and sanitation, be considered for use in humanitarian and emergency settings at high risk for cholera. Since 2013, inactivated vibrio whole cell OCVs have been made available for deployment from a global OCV stockpile, funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is intended for cholera control in outbreaks, humanitarian crises, and settings with endemic cholera. Emergency deployment of OCVs from the stockpile is coordinated by an International Coordinating Group (ICG) with WHO serving as the secretariat. There is increasing demand for the OCV stockpile; between July, 2013, and September, 2017, close to 17 million OCV doses were shipped to 18 countries.