Rotavirus vaccines: Opportunities and challenges
Author(s)
Grimwood, Keith
Lambert, Stephen B
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2009
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Each year rotavirus gastroenteritis episodes in young children cause more than 500,000 deaths and 2.4 million hospital admissions worldwide. Vaccine development became a priority when improved personal hygiene and living standards failed to significantly reduce this disease burden. Rotavirus vaccines were developed mimicking natural immunity by protecting against severe gastroenteritis in young children, which would otherwise lead to health-care attendance, hospitalisation or even death. Licensed rotavirus vaccines appear safe and are well-tolerated. In high and middle-income countries they provide 80-100% protection against ...
View more >Each year rotavirus gastroenteritis episodes in young children cause more than 500,000 deaths and 2.4 million hospital admissions worldwide. Vaccine development became a priority when improved personal hygiene and living standards failed to significantly reduce this disease burden. Rotavirus vaccines were developed mimicking natural immunity by protecting against severe gastroenteritis in young children, which would otherwise lead to health-care attendance, hospitalisation or even death. Licensed rotavirus vaccines appear safe and are well-tolerated. In high and middle-income countries they provide 80-100% protection against severe disease and 70-80% protection against rotavirus gastroenteritis of any severity, depending upon the population studied. However, rotavirus vaccines remain to be fully evaluated in low-income countries where reduced immunogenicity of oral vaccines, greater strain diversity and difficulties reaching target populations might decrease immunisation programme performance. Nevertheless, if these challenges are met, rotavirus vaccines should help reduce the 5% of all childhood deaths attributable to rotavirus gastroenteritis.
View less >
View more >Each year rotavirus gastroenteritis episodes in young children cause more than 500,000 deaths and 2.4 million hospital admissions worldwide. Vaccine development became a priority when improved personal hygiene and living standards failed to significantly reduce this disease burden. Rotavirus vaccines were developed mimicking natural immunity by protecting against severe gastroenteritis in young children, which would otherwise lead to health-care attendance, hospitalisation or even death. Licensed rotavirus vaccines appear safe and are well-tolerated. In high and middle-income countries they provide 80-100% protection against severe disease and 70-80% protection against rotavirus gastroenteritis of any severity, depending upon the population studied. However, rotavirus vaccines remain to be fully evaluated in low-income countries where reduced immunogenicity of oral vaccines, greater strain diversity and difficulties reaching target populations might decrease immunisation programme performance. Nevertheless, if these challenges are met, rotavirus vaccines should help reduce the 5% of all childhood deaths attributable to rotavirus gastroenteritis.
View less >
Journal Title
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
Volume
5
Issue
2
Subject
Immunology
Medical microbiology
Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences