When oral vaccines are administered to children in lower- and middle-income countries, they do not induce the same immune responses as they do in developed countries. Although not completely understood, reasons for this finding include maternal antibody interference, mucosal pathology secondary to infection, malnutrition, enteropathy, and previous exposure to the organism (or related organisms). Young children experience a high burden of cholera infection, which can lead to severe acute dehydrating diarrhea and substantial mortality and morbidity. Oral cholera vaccines show variations in their duration of protection and efficacy between children and adults. Evaluating innate and memory immune response is necessary to understand V. cholerae immunity and to improve current cholera vaccine candidates, especially in young children. Further research on the benefits of supplementary interventions and delivery schedules may also improve immunization strategies.
Keywords: children; cholera; developing countries; efficacy; immunogenicity; oral vaccines.