Rotavirus Vaccine

A rotavirus vaccine protects children from rotaviruses, which are the leading cause of severe diarrhea among infants and young children. Each year an estimated 453,000 children die from diarrhoeal disease caused by rotavirus, most of whom live in developing countries, and another two million are hospitalised. Rotavirus is highly contagious and resistant and, regardless of water quality and available sanitation nearly every child in the world is at risk of infection.

There are two effective rotavirus vaccines: Rotarix by GlaxoSmithKline and RotaTeq by Merck. A vaccine has recently been developed in India. Phase III trials have been conducted for the vaccine.

On June 5, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that rotavirus vaccine be included in all national immunization programs. The Rotavirus Vaccine Program and the Accelerated Vaccine Introduction initiative have worked to study rotavirus vaccines among developing-country populations to assist developing countries in introducing rotavirus vaccines into routine immunization programs. These partnerships are spearheaded by international non-governmental organization PATH, WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.