Vaccinations can better fight superbugs

Whether you live below the poverty line in the slums of a city or work as a banker on Wall Street, drug-resistant "superbugs" are among the gravest threats to your health. But while the problem is ubiquitous, we are not entirely defenseless; in the race to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the world has a potent if underused tool: vaccines.

One epidemic currently plaguing Pakistan illustrates vaccines' potential. For two years, health professionals have been trying to contain an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid. Unfortunately, diagnosing XDR typhoid is difficult, and doctors often prescribe antibiotics that are ineffective. This, in turn, prolongs the length and severity of the illness, and can lead to death.

But, we believe, doctors in Pakistan can prevent typhoid in the first place?