Diseases and vaccines

Rotavirus vaccine efficacy and safety

Efficacy of human rotavirus vaccine against rotavirus gastroenteritis during the first 2 years of life in European infants: randomised, double-blind controlled study (2007)
Vesikari T, et al. Lancet. 370:1757-1763.
This article presents data that show high efficacy for GSK's Rotarix® administered with routine vaccines. Over two seasons, Rotarix® demonstrated 90 percent efficacy against severe rotavirus among European children and 79 percent against all rotavirus infections. This article is available to the public, but free individual registration on The Lancet website is required.

Efficacy of the human rotavirus vaccine RIX4414 in malnourished children (2007)
Perez-Schael, et al. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 196(4):537-540.
This study determined that the Rotarix® vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline decreased the incidence severe gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus at comparable rates among well-nourished and malnourished children.

Safety and efficacy of an attenuated vaccine against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis (2006)
Ruiz-Palacios G, et al. New England Journal of Medicine. 354(1):11-22.
This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of GSK’s rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix®), with a focus on determining risk of intussusception.

Safety and efficacy of a pentavalent human–bovine (WC3) reassortant rotavirus vaccine (2006)
Vesikari T, et al. New England Journal of Medicine. 354(1):23-33.
This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of Merck’s rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq®), with a focus on determining risk of intussusception.

Safety of Rotarix® and RotaTeq® vaccines (2006)
WHO
The WHO's update on newly developed rotavirus vaccines notes their excellent safety and efficacy profiles and emphasizes the need for post-marketing surveillance following vaccine introduction.

Overview of RotaTeq® human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine (2005)
Shaw A, Heaton P.
This presentation from an informal consultation on proposed World Health Organization guidelines to assure quality, safety, and efficacy of live, attenuated rotavirus vaccines reported on studies of the safety and efficacy of the RotaTeq® vaccine manufactured by Merck.

Rotarix® (2005)
 De Vos B.
This presentation from the Director of Worldwide Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), provides a profile of Rotarix® and describes its potential value.

Rotavirus immunoglobulin A responses stimulated by each of 3 doses of a quadrivalent human/bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine (2004)
Ward R, Bernstein D, Smith V, et al. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 189:2290-2293.
This study evaluated the immunogenicity of a 3-dose rotavirus vaccine.