Get the Cholera Vaccine at Medichem Pharmacy
Get the Cholera Vaccine at Medichem pharmacy before you travel abroad. Cholera is a bacterial
disease commonly characterised by frequent watery diarrhoea. It comes about as a result of
toxin-producing forms of Vibrio cholera bacteria. The only way to secure yourself before you travel to
a high-risk region is to get a cholera vaccine.
What are the causes?
You can contract cholera by ingesting contaminated food or water. Humans are believed to be the only known natural hosts. Cholera affects mostly low-income countries and is often associated with poor sanitation, lack of access to clean drinking water as well as poverty.
Nevertheless, the general risk of cholera for travellers is significantly low. The chances of contracting cholera become high when a traveller drinks untreated water or eats poorly cooked seafood in regions with reported cholera outbreaks. You are also at risk if you are a relief worker in a refugee or
disaster camp, living in unsanitary conditions
Symptoms of cholera
Common symptoms of cholera include: suddenly having frequent watery diarrhoea accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The affected person can become seriously dehydrated if they don’t receive treatment. They can also have dangerous salt imbalances and shock. A huge per cent of people who get severe cases of cholera lose their lives within a few hours. With quick and effective treatment, the death rate is less than one per cent. Cholera may be mild or occur with no symptoms in healthy people.
Prevention
You can reduce the risk of contracting cholera by making sure you maintain good personal hygiene and follow guidelines on how to prevent food and water-borne infections and diseases.
An oral, inactivated cholera vaccine, Dukoral® is available in the UK. This vaccine is effective against V. cholerae serogroup O1. However, it’s not indicated for most travellers but is recommended for people whose activities or medical history put them at a higher risk.
They include:
- Aid workers
- People who access areas of cholera outbreaks with limited access to safe water and medical care.
- Those for whom vaccination is considered potentially beneficial. (i.e. for those who do not fit into the above groups, but are still considered at higher risk).
- Men who engage in sex with men
- Those who take drugs
- Anyone who may be exposed to the virus through their work
- Those going to areas of hepatitis A outbreaks
Two doses of the oral vaccination are required between 1-6 weeks apart.
