Rotavirus
Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrheal disease in children worldwide and is responsible for the deaths of more than 450,000 children each year, 85 percent of whom live in developing countries. Rotavirus disease cannot be treated with antibiotics or other drugs, and most children will become infected regardless of hygiene practices or access to clean water. Vaccination offers the best hope for preventing severe rotavirus illness. In 2009, the World Health Organization recommended that all countries include rotavirus vaccines in their national immunization programs. Currently, two vaccines against the disease are licensed for use and several more are in development.
More about rotavirus | View resources on rotavirus
Key resources
Rotavirus Resources (2012)
A web page that provides a comprehensive list of links to various resources related to rotavirus.
Rotavirus Vaccines for Children in Developing Countries (2012)
A supplemental issue of Vaccine that summarizes data on the performance of rotavirus vaccines.
Comparative Review of Three Cost-Effectiveness Models for Rotavirus Vaccines in National Immunization Programs: A Generic Approach Applied to Various Regions in the World (2011)
An article that critically reviews available cost-effectiveness models for rotavirus vaccination.
Featured PATH resources
Rotavirus Vaccine Solutions (2011)
A fact sheet that provides a technical perspective of PATH's work on rotavirus vaccines for children in the developing world.
A Comprehensive Approach to Rotavirus Vaccines (2011)
A fact sheet that highlights PATH's work to increase access to and effectiveness of existing rotavirus vaccines, as well as to develop new vaccines.
Page last updated: May 2012.
