The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said that it has signed a technical service agreement (TSA) with the World Health Organization (WHO) to inspect the quality of cholera vaccines.

The TSA is a contract given by the WHO to test the quality of vaccines purchased through UNICEF and other countries. Currently, there are 12 institutions designated by the WHO in 12 countries, including the UK and Korea.

Through this agreement, the ministry will conduct a quality assessment on four preparations, including cholera vaccine, BCG vaccine, Japanese encephalitis live vaccine, and pertussis vaccine, and 25 manufacturing units from July 2018 to December 2019.

“The agreement shows that the WHO has recognized Korea’s cholera vaccine quality assessment,” an MFDS official said.

The institute will continue to expand the scope of the vaccine test, and will make various efforts to ensure safe distribution of the vaccine along with WHO, the agency added.