PaxVax announces Vaxchora cholera vaccine availability

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Vaxchora, the only Food and Drug Administration-approved cholera vaccine, is now available in the U.S., the vaccine maker, PaxVax, announced Monday. 

 

The FDA approved Vaxchora in June for adults traveling to cholera-affected areas, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously recommended it for travelers to areas of active cholera transmission the same month. 

 

"We are excited that Vaxchora is now available to Americans traveling to areas affected by cholera,” PaxVax president and CEO Nima Farzan said. “This is particularly timely in light of the number of U.S. citizens, including members of the U.S. military, joining relief efforts in Haiti. Vaccinating those traveling to cholera-affected areas can help mitigate its spread and can help protect them against the disease.”

 

In Haiti, which was hit by Hurricane Matthew on Oct. 4, cholera has caused approximately 800,000 infections and 10,000 deaths. PaxVax said it has donated to medical organization Partners in Health, which recently was awarded a grant from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation to build a new medical distribution center in Haiti.