Cholera

There is a vaccine available for cholera but it is not on the Australian Immunisation Schedule. It is only recommended for children (≥2 years of age) and adult travellers who:

  • have a high risk of acquiring diarrhoeal disease
  • are travelling to areas where there is a high likelihood of exposure to cholera

The disease

Cholera is usually caused by ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera is characterised by the sudden onset of diarrhoea and can result in severe dehydration. Only 2 serogroups of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae produce the enterotoxin that causes disease: O1 and O139.

The vaccine

Cholera vaccination is only available in Australia as an oral vaccine against serogroup O1.

Children aged 2–6 years are recommended to receive 3 doses of cholera vaccine with an interval of 1–6 weeks between each dose.

Adults and children aged ≥6 years are recommended to receive 2 doses of cholera vaccine with an interval of 1–6 weeks between each dose.

 

(Text adapted from the Australian Immunisation Handbook)

For more information about cholera and the vaccine available please see here.

Page reviewed November 2018.
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