Typhoid fever vaccine and prevention

If you wish to avoid typhoid fever, proper sanitation and hygiene are of imperative importance. It is possible for humans to become asymptomatic carriers of typhoid fever. Such a person will not develop any symptoms, but he or she is still capable of spreading the disease to other humans.

You can only catch typhoid from a human source since animals do note become infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. You can therefore normally only become infected typhoid fever in environments where human faeces or urine is allowed to contaminate products that you eat or drink. Even though animals can’t get typhoid fever, flying insects that feeds on faeces may occasionally transfer Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi to food and water.

The World Health Organization currently recommends two different vaccines against typhoid fever. Both are 50-80% effective and are considered superior to the old killed whole-cell vaccine since the old injectable vaccine comes with a higher rate of side effects, such as pain and inflammation in the injection area. The old vaccine is still used in countries where the new vaccines are not yet available.

Of the two anti-typhoid fever vaccines recommended by WHO, one is injected and one is taken orally. The injectable vaccine is a Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine (sold as Typhim Vi) while the oral vaccine is a live, oral Ty21s vaccine (sold as Vivotif Berna).