Prevention of Rotavirus

Prevention list: Methods of prevention of Rotavirus mentioned in various sources includes those listed below. This prevention information is gathered from various sources, and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Rotavirus.

Prevention of Rotavirus: Most recently, NIAID scientists developed a vaccine against rotavirus, the cause of more than 2,000 childhood deaths worldwide each day. The new vaccine has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and deaths among infants, particularly in developing countries.¹

Traditionally, it was thought that most cases of diarrhea could be prevented by improvements in hygiene and sanitation. However, such steps alone are insufficient since rotavirus can survive for long periods on hard surfaces such as toys and tables. The highly infectious virus probably is spread by the oral-fecal route and is not killed by standard disinfectants. Efforts to overcome the challenge posed by this hardy virus were aided by the researchers’ discovery that most children have been infected with rotavirus by the age of 3 years. An infant’s first bout of diarrhea from rotavirus is the most severe, with subsequent reinfections decreasing in severity. These findings indicated that infants gradually develop a partial immunity to the virus and that a vaccine might prevent disease. ¹

NIAID collaborated in 1996 with investigators in Venezuela to test the RRV-TV vaccine. One year later, study results showed that the rotavirus vaccine was safe and reduced severe diarrhea in children by 88 percent and severe dehydration by 77 percent. This study was the largest and most successful trial to date of a rotavirus vaccine among children in a developing country. The vaccine eventually was tested in approximately 18,000 infants in the United States and abroad and was licensed in the United States in August 1998. ¹

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a live virus vaccine (Rotashield) for use in children. However, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that Rotashield no longer be recommended for infants in the United States because of data that indicated a strong association between²

The vaccine was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration on August 31, 1998. Clinical trials of the vaccine indicated it prevented approximately 50% of all episodes of rotavirus diarrhea and 70-90% of severe episodes. The vaccine was associated with fever following the first dose in some recipients, usually occurring 3 to 5 days after administration and lasting for 24 hours or less. The fever was occasionally associated with decreased appetite, irritability, and decreased activity. ³

The vaccine is an oral live rotavirus preparation that should be given to infants between the ages of 6 weeks and 1 year. The recommended schedule is a three-dose series, with doses to be given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The first dose may be administered from the ages of 6 weeks to 6 months and later doses should be given at least 3 weeks apart. The entire series needs to be completed before the first birthday. Special efforts should be made to vaccinate children before onset of the winter rotavirus season. ³

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Stories of Discovery Rotavirus Vaccine Preventing Severe Diarrheal Disease in Infants: NIAID
2. excerpt from Rotavirus: DVRD
3. excerpt from Facts About Rotavirus and Rotavirus Vaccine: CDC-OC

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