Study assesses how vaccination against typhoid fever could help avert antimicrobial resistance

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  • Researchers from Yale University, University of Basel, University of Antwerp, CDDEP and other institutions recently published a study aimed to assess how vaccination against typhoid fever could help avert antimicrobial resistance.
  • In this study, researchers present country-specific estimates for the effect of TCV introduction on the burden of antimicrobial-resistant typhoid fever in 73 countries eligible for Gavi support.
  • According to Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, Study Author, Director, CDDEP, “This study, which is part of a larger research effort to study the effect of vaccines on averting antibiotic consumption, clearly demonstrates the tremendous value of vaccines in addressing AMR. Going forward, vaccines could be a major component of any global strategy to tackle drug-resistant infections.”
  • Overall, the key findings of the study are as follows:
    • The introduction of routine immunization with TCV at age nine months with a catch-up campaign up to age 15 years was predicted to avert 46–74% of all typhoid fever cases in 73 countries eligible for Gavi support.
    • Vaccination was predicted to reduce the relative prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant typhoid fever by 16%.
    • TCV roll-out could be especially urgent in places where resistance has emerged and is rapidly spreading. The authors give Pakistan as an example, due to an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant typhoid that has been ongoing since 2016.