recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae at a glance
Medicine class
Inactivated oral bacterial vaccine.
Licensed protection
Cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1.
Who may need it
Selected travellers to endemic or epidemic areas, following an individual travel-risk assessment.
Administration
The vaccine suspension is mixed with its supplied effervescent buffer and swallowed.
Important limitation
Protection is incomplete and does not cover cholera serogroup O139 or other Vibrio species.
What is recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae used for?
Its UK-licensed use is:
Active immunisation against disease caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 in adults and children aged 2 years and over visiting endemic or epidemic areas. Use should reflect official recommendations, destination epidemiology and the traveller’s circumstances.
How does recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae work?
The killed bacterial components stimulate intestinal antibodies that hinder V. cholerae O1 from attaching to and colonising the gut. Antibodies against the non-toxic B subunit also hinder cholera toxin from binding to the intestinal lining. The bicarbonate buffer protects vaccine antigens from stomach acid.
How to take recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae
Use orally only and follow the supplied preparation instructions carefully.
Dissolve the effervescent powder in cool water; do not substitute another liquid.
Shake the vaccine vial gently, add its entire contents to the prepared buffer and stir gently.
Use the leaflet’s age-specific buffer preparation for children aged 2 to under 6 years.
Drink the prepared mixture within 2 hours.
Avoid food and drink for 1 hour before and 1 hour afterwards.
Do not mix the vaccine with other medicines.
recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae side effects
Common or expected effects
- Uncommon: headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain or cramps, abdominal discomfort, and increased bowel sounds or gas.
- Rare: nausea, vomiting, reduced appetite, dizziness, fever, malaise, cough, or rhinitis.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms reported most frequently in trials occurred at similar rates in vaccine and placebo groups.
Get urgent medical advice
- Seek urgent assessment for breathing difficulty, angioedema, or other symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.
- Get medical advice for severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, particularly if dehydration develops.
recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae in pregnancy
Specific pregnancy studies are limited. Because this is an inactivated vaccine, it may be considered after an individual assessment of cholera exposure risk and the benefits and uncertainties of vaccination. Discuss pregnancy with the travel-health clinician before vaccination.
recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae while breastfeeding
Inactivated vaccines are not expected to pose a risk to a breastfed infant. This vaccine may be used after assessment of the mother’s travel-related exposure risk; tell the vaccinating clinician that you are breastfeeding.
recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae interactions
The main practical interactions involve stomach acidity and other oral products.
Oral medicines and oral vaccines
Avoid taking them for 1 hour before and 1 hour after the cholera vaccine because simultaneous oral administration may impair vaccine performance or has not been adequately studied.
Food and drink
Avoid them for 1 hour before and afterwards because increased stomach acid may damage the acid-sensitive vaccine antigens.
Oral typhoid vaccine
Limited data found no effect on the antibody response to this cholera vaccine, but the typhoid vaccine response was not assessed.
Common questions about recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Does recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae protect against every type of cholera?
No. It is specific to V. cholerae serogroup O1 and does not protect against serogroup O139 or other Vibrio species. Protection against O1 is also not complete.
Is recombinant cholera toxin b subunit + vibrio cholerae a live vaccine?
No. It contains killed cholera bacteria and a recombinant non-toxic component of cholera toxin.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.