Cholera is a bacterial infection caused by Vibrio cholerae, leading to sudden, profuse watery diarrhoea, dehydration and, in severe cases, shock. While the risk to most travellers is very low, outbreaks occur frequently in regions with limited sanitation and unsafe drinking water.
For up-to-date country-specific advice and outbreak alerts, visit NaTHNaC:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/17/cholera
Northfields Travel Clinic provides Dukoral®, the oral cholera vaccine, supplied for self-preparation and self-administration at home.
Cholera is most common in:
Sub-Saharan Africa
South and Southeast Asia
The Middle East
Haiti and the Caribbean
Parts of Central and South America
Risk increases in:
Humanitarian settings
Disaster zones or refugee camps
Areas with active outbreaks
Locations with poor sanitation or unsafe water
Flood-affected regions
Most short-stay holidaymakers have minimal risk, but some travellers may require additional protection.
Cholera spreads through:
Contaminated drinking water
Food washed or prepared with unsafe water
Raw or undercooked seafood
Ice made from untreated water
Poor sanitation environments
Humans are the only natural reservoir of the bacteria.
Dukoral® is not routinely required for most leisure travellers.
It may be recommended if you are:
An aid worker or humanitarian responder
Visiting regions with an active cholera outbreak
Travelling to remote areas with limited clean water access
Living for extended periods in basic accommodation
Someone with conditions where severe diarrhoea poses a higher medical risk
Entering refugee or disaster areas
Our travel specialist pharmacist will assess your individual risk and itinerary.
Symptoms typically begin within hours to 5 days and may include:
Sudden, watery diarrhoea (“rice-water stools”)
Nausea or vomiting
Severe dehydration
Muscle cramps
Weakness or dizziness
Without treatment, cholera can be fatal. With prompt oral rehydration therapy, mortality is below 1%.
Vaccination is only one part of protection. You should also:
Drink only bottled, boiled or filtered water
Avoid ice, raw salads and unwashed fruit
Avoid raw or undercooked seafood
Use hand sanitiser frequently
Avoid street food in outbreak areas
These precautions help prevent Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Traveller’s Diarrhoea as well.
Dukoral® is an oral, inactivated vaccine taken as a drinkable solution.
Two separate doses
Taken 1–6 weeks apart
Full protection develops 1 week after the second dose
Both doses are self-administered at home following instructions provided during your consultation
Licensed from 2 years of age
£50 per dose
Two doses required
Brand: Dukoral®
Your clinician will explain how to prepare and take each dose safely.
Northfields Travel Clinic supplies Dukoral® for self-administration after a consultation at:
Bramley Pharmacy, 261 Northfield Avenue, Ealing (W5)
Use our online booking widget to arrange your appointment.
No. It is only advised for specific high-risk itineraries.
Yes — from age 2 years and above.
Swallowed. Dukoral® is taken orally as a mixed solution.
Yes — hygiene is essential regardless of vaccination.
Approximately 2 years after completing the two-dose course.
It offers partial protection against one strain (ETEC), but does not prevent most causes of general traveller’s diarrhoea.
NaTHNaC – Cholera
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/17/cholera
WHO – Cholera Factsheet
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera
UKHSA – The Green Book (Cholera)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cholera-the-green-book-chapter-14