Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has developed a typhoid vaccine (Typbar TCV) which has better efficacy than the previously used vaccinations in preventing typhoid fever.
Conjugate vaccines are made using a combination of two different components. In Typbar TCV, an antigen is chemically linked to a carrier protein to create more powerful combined immune response.
The conjugate vaccine can be given to babies as young as six months, while the other two typhoid vaccines — polysaccharide typhoid vaccine and live, weakened typhoid vaccine cannot be given to children below two years of age.
Typhoid
- Typhoid fever is caused by the highly contagious Salmonella Typhi bacteria. The bacteria spread through contaminated food or water.
- Symptoms are prolonged fever, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, and constipation or sometimes diarrhoea.
