Single-Dose Oral Cholera Vaccine in Bangladesh

To the Editor: The reported 6-month efficacy of a single dose of oral cholera vaccine in Bangladesh (May 5 issue),¹ although seemingly modest, may have profound implications for future use of the vaccine. One-year protection from two doses in India and Bangladesh did not differ significantly from these new results, a finding that suggests that short-term single-dose protection is similar.^2,3 In cholera outbreaks, a rapid response is crucial, and protection from the first dose (direct and indirect) will drive the effect of reactive vaccination.⁴ These findings open the door to rapid provision of a first dose during epidemics, while . . .