Shigella is the leading bacterial cause of childhood diarrhea, and infections can have long-term effects on growth and development. No licensed Shigella vaccines currently exist, but several promising candidates in development could become available in a few years.

PATH conducted a series of studies to better understand the public health value of potential Shigella vaccines and help inform decisions by international agencies, funders, vaccine developers, and national policymakers. This included: vaccine impact and cost-effectiveness analyses, demand forecasts for two potential markets, an expert consultation on Shigella-containing combination vaccines, and a feasibility and acceptability study with national stakeholders and healthcare providers in five countries. This brief provides a comprehensive summary of the results.