Rotaviruses are the single most important cause of severe diarrhoeal illness in infants and young children worldwide. By the age of five years most children irrespective of socioeconomic setting will have been infected at least once. While infected, many children will be in need of medical attention due to extensive fluid loss.
Immediate health needs following earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria are mostly related to trauma and the disruption of healthcare, however, infectious disease threats may be concerning in the following two to four weeks.
ECDC has published an Expert Opinion on rotavirus vaccination in infancy. The paper provides EU/EEA Member States with relevant scientific information on burden of rotavirus disease, vaccine effectiveness and safety, and cost-effectiveness studies to support the decision-making process on the possible introduction of routine vaccination of children against rotavirus gastroenteritis.
The final expert opinion on rotavirus vaccination in infancy aims to provide EU/EEA Member States with information to support the decision-making process on the possible introduction of rotavirus vaccination in infancy.
Rotavirus infection is an acute infectious disease mainly affecting children. The main symptoms are fever, vomiting and diarrhoea and many affected children suffer from extensive fluid loss in need of medical attention. The incubation period is 1-2 days.
In Europe, routine rotavirus vaccination of infants at the national level has been introduced with one or two vaccine brands in Finland, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium within well-baby clinics or administered by general practitioners and paediatricians. When introducing a new vaccine, it is crucial to conduct studies evaluating the vaccination’s impact and effectiveness in order to decide on recommendations for its future use.
When introducing a new vaccine, it is crucial to conduct studies evaluating the vaccination’s impact and effectiveness in order to decide on recommendations for its future use. To this end, ECDC has produced three generic protocols.
Results of this study demonstrated that the RIX4414 vaccine was well tolerated and immunogenic in pre-term European infants: more than 75% of infants had seroconverted 30-83 days after dose 2.