Typhoid remains a major public health challenge in many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in South Asia and Africa. Typhoid can be treated with antibiotics, but extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains have emerged, leaving only one oral antibiotic effective against these infections. Resistance to this last option is now appearing in some regions, highlighting the urgent need for vaccination.
Blood culture is the gold standard for typhoid diagnosis, but its limited availability makes it difficult to accurately estimate the true burden of disease. The typhoid conjugate vaccine has been shown to provide strong protection and has been recommended by the World Health Organisation for use in typhoid-endemic countries since 2018.
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of Typhoid globally, with more than 477,500 cases annually - 61% of which are in children younger than 15 years old. This programme marks a major step forward in protecting children from a preventable disease which continues to remain a major public health challenge in many parts of the world.
Dr Firdausi Qadri, Senior Scientist at icddr,b in Bangladesh, said:
“This vaccination campaign is a historic moment for Bangladesh. Typhoid has placed a heavy burden on our children and health systems for decades. The introduction of TCV will save Bangladeshi children’s lives across the country and help us build a healthier community.”
Over the past decade, Dr Firdausi Qadri, Prof John Clemens, and Dr Farhana Khanam at icddr,b, Bangladesh, have led several large-scale studies with support from the Oxford Vaccine Group, providing crucial evidence to guide global vaccine policy. These works, supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Gates Foundation, have helped pave the way for vaccine introduction across eight countries so far.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said:
“The introduction of TCV in Bangladesh is a testament to years of collaboration among researchers around the world. The evidence gathered through these partnerships has directly informed global typhoid vaccine policy and helped make today’s milestone possible.”
Associate Professor Xinxue Liu, a senior investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group, added:
“After years of hard work from teams in Bangladesh and Oxford, and the invaluable contributions of study participants, we have finally turned scientific research into real and life-changing policy that saves children’s lives.”
More than 100 million children worldwide have now received protection through TCV programmes, marking a major milestone for enteric fever control.