Global impact of rotavirus vaccines

Abstract

The WHO has recently recommended the inclusion of rotavirus vaccine in the national immunization programs of all countries. In countries in the Americas, Europe and Australia that have adopted routine childhood immunization against rotavirus, significant reductions in the burden of severe childhood diarrhea have been observed. Besides protecting vaccinated children, disease rates also appear to be reduced in unvaccinated children, suggesting indirect benefits from vaccination (i.e., herd protection). Early clinical trial data from Africa and Asia are promising, and further efforts are needed to optimize the benefits of vaccination in developing countries where vaccines are likely to have their greatest impact.

Keywords::

• diarrhea
• rotavirus
• rotavirus vaccination
• vaccine effectiveness

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Nigel A Cunliffe has received research grant support and lecture fees from GSK Biologicals and SPMSD. Osamu Nakagomi has received research grants from GlaxoSmithKline and Banyu Pharmatheuticals. Jacqueline E Tate, Manish M Patel, A Duncan Steele, Jon R Gentsch, Daniel C Payne, Margaret M Cortese, Baoming Jiang, Roger I Glass and Umesh D Parashar do not have any relevant disclosures. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.