Rotavirus vaccine introduction in the Americas: progress and lessons learned

Abstract

In Latin America and the Caribbean, rotavirus causes approximately 15,000 deaths, 75,000 hospitalizations, 2 million clinic visits and 10 million cases of rotavirus diarrhea annually. Two safe vaccines are available that are effective in preventing severe illness. To date, seven countries in Latin America (Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela) have introduced the vaccine. For successful rotavirus vaccine introduction, the lessons learned re-emphasize the critical need for countries to have precise plans that will ensure technical, programmatic and financial sustainability of vaccine introduction. Of these lessons learned, programmatic feasibility and financial sustainability were particularly challenging for countries that were the first to introduce a rotavirus vaccine.

Keywords::

• diarrhea
• new vaccines
• rotavirus
• surveillance
• vaccine

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the immunization programs from Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela for sharing their rotavirus vaccine experiences, and rotavirus surveillance units from various Latin American countries. The authors recognize the unwavering dedication of country program officers and field workers providing immunization services to the people of the Americas, who deserve the highest recognition. They thank Ms. Béatrice Carpano for her editorial assistance.

Disclaimer

References to commercial products do not constitute endorsement by Pan American Health Organization/WHO.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors thank all partners who have supported the rotavirus initiative in the Americas, including the CDC, GAVI, PATH and the Sabin Vaccine Institute, particularly Umesh Parashar and Manish Patel and their team (CDC), John Wecker (PATH), and Ciro de Quadros (Sabin Vaccine Institute). We appreciate the support from Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) immunization focal points in countries and the Area of Family and Community Health (FCH/PAHO). 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.