Typhoid: Study confirms Vi-DT conjugate vaccine safe and effective in children

"This is an important advance considering the significant burden of disease in infants and young children, and our goal remains developing a safe, single-dose vaccine with long-lasting immunogenicity to protect more children against typhoid fever," said Dr. Sushant Sahastrabuddhe, Director of the Typhoid Program at IVI.

Increasing global supply of typhoid conjugate vaccines

Vi-DT was developed at IVI and its technology was transferred in 2013 to SK bioscience in South Korea for manufacturing and commercialization. A Phase I safety trial of Vi-DT was first conducted in the Philippines with participants 2-45 years of age and showed that the vaccine was safe and immunogenic four weeks after first dose. Following the successful completion of a Phase II trial with infants under 2 years, large-scale Phase III studies with a single-dose of Vi-DT have started in the Philippines and Nepal in 2020.

The WHO recommends programmatic use of typhoid vaccines to prevent and control typhoid fever with preference for TCVs for their longer-lasting protection, fewer doses, and suitability for children under 2. (1) For treatment, antibiotics are currently the frontline intervention for typhoid fever, but drug-resistant typhoid has emerged across Asia and Africa, highlighting the need for sufficient supply of TCV and sustainable vaccination programs.