The American Red Cross said it contributed US$1 million to purchase and distribute oral cholera vaccinations to 100,000 people in urban and rural Haitian communities. These funds will support a US$1.3 million vaccination project led by Partners In Health, the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population, and the Haitian nonprofit GHESKIO. This project is part of an ongoing effort to improve control and prevent the spread of the disease that has claimed more than 7,000 lives since its outbreak more than a year ago. The cholera epidemic in Haiti is currently the largest outbreak in the world. Dr. Louise Ivers, Senior Health and Policy Advisor to Partners In Health and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, commented, “Support from the American Red Cross is essential to our delivering this safe, affordable and effective oral cholera vaccine in Haiti. While access to clean water and sanitation systems is the ultimate solution to stopping the spread of cholera, we must utilize all tools available to help prevent continued needless deaths,” The vaccine, Shanchol, is delivered in two doses. Shanchol has been pre-qualified by the WHO and is 65 to 75 percent effective in protecting recipients for at least 36 months. To date, the American Red Cross has contributed more than US$17 million to fight the cholera outbreak in Haiti.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/11/4407276/american-red-cross-funds-pioneer.html#storylink=cpy