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Greetings partners and colleagues, We are pleased to share with you the latest progress on global efforts to reduce childhood mortality and morbidity through the use of rotavirus vaccines. In this issue of Rotavirus Update, we recognize the leadership emerging within Latin American countries. Earlier this month, El Salvador became the latest country in the region to add rotavirus vaccine to its routine immunization program, and the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance expects to reach 80,000 children annually. A truly historic partnership between the Government of Nicaragua and Merck & Co., Inc. was announced last month during the Clinton Global Health Initiative meeting in New York. Through this partnership, ROTATEQ® will be made available in the public sector nationwide. This will be the first time in history that a new vaccine is introduced in a GAVI-eligible country in the same year that it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, distinguishing Nicaragua as a leader in the worldwide effort to accelerate availability of rotavirus vaccines to low-income countries far faster than previous vaccines. We applaud both the Government of Nicaragua and Merck in taking this crucial step. We also recognize the growing global recognition of the need to step up the use of new interventions to control a major killer of children around the world. Recent articles in the Lancet, TIME magazine, and WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record highlight efforts that shine light on the need for more focused efforts to control diarrheal disease. Please join us in celebrating these advancements in global efforts to bring better health within reach of all. Regards,
John R. Wecker, PhD Director, Rotavirus Vaccine
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October 2006 In this Issue Nicaragua demonstration program garners international attention UNICEF cites diarrheal disease control as key element in reducing mortality TIME highlights advances in diarrheal disease control Shaping new guidelines for evaluating vaccine cost-effectiveness Lancet article provides update on current rotavirus vaccines |
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Nicaragua demonstration program garners international attention The landmark collaboration between the Government of Nicaragua and Merck to provide rotavirus vaccines to children reached by the public health system was warmly welcomed in international media. The demonstration program will provide free doses of ROTATEQ®, Merck’s three-dose oral rotavirus vaccine, to all infants in Nicaragua for the next three years. As Dr. Julian Lob-Levyt, executive secretary of the GAVI Alliance, noted, “This demonstration project is a significant step toward global use of rotavirus vaccines, which have the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives and help the world achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It is also a good illustration of what can be achieved by combining and integrating political will with private resources and partner support to deliver the outcomes needed to reach the health MDGs.” The demonstration project announced by the Government of Nicaragua and Merck is an important milestone toward accelerating rotavirus vaccine introduction in GAVI-eligible countries. It will provide valuable lessons as RVP and partners seek to build awareness and replicate such progress in the region and throughout the developing world. In addition to its potential to save thousands of lives, Nicaragua’s experience will help illuminate the benefits and challenges of integrating rotavirus vaccines into routine immunization programs in resource-limited settings. Merck donating vaccine against diarrheal illness to Nicaragua for 3 years, International Herald Tribune/Associated Press Merck to donate rotavirus vaccine in Nicaragua, Reuters Merck and Nicaragua unveil new rotavirus vaccine demonstration project at Clinton Global Initiative, Medical News Today Rotavirus vaccine demonstration to help accelerate progress against a leading killer of children, GAVI Alliance and PATH UNICEF cites diarrheal disease control as key element in reducing mortality The Lancet recently highlighted the role of diarrheal disease control as part of an integrated approach to child survival. Interventions including low-osmolarity oral rehydration solution (ORS), zinc treatment, and promotion of breastfeeding were among five indicators used to define a comprehensive child health policy. The article reviewed the adoption of such interventions by WHO member states as measures of progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal #4 (to reduce mortality of children under five by two-thirds). Investigators found that, while some countries have successfully implemented the use of low-osmolarity ORS and zinc treatment, many countries reported low rates of diarrheal disease management. This finding emphasizes the urgency of disseminating relevant data among country-level public health officials so that they may make informed decisions on diarrheal disease control measures, including rotavirus vaccines. A renewed focus on diarrheal disease control has emerged as a priority in global public health, and surveys conducted by RVP among officials and clinicians in developing countries found similar gaps in awareness and implementation. The development and availability of new rotavirus vaccines offers an opportunity to invigorate broader diarrheal disease control efforts. Learn more about what RVP is doing in this arena by visiting our online Enhanced Diarrheal Disease Control Resource Center. The Lancet article was part of a special issue published to coincide with the Symposium on Child Survival held last month in New York. In outreach regarding the symposium, UNICEF listed rotavirus vaccines among new tools that hold potential in reducing under-five mortality. Click here to learn more. TIME highlights advances in diarrheal disease control A feature article in TIME magazine (October 8, Europe edition) provides a comprehensive update on the current use of ORS to treat severe diarrhea, along with other promising interventions including rotavirus vaccines. The article highlights treatment and research efforts of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), the Ethiopian Ministry of Health’s sanitation interventions, and the mission of RVP and partners to accelerate rotavirus vaccine availability in developing countries. Click here to read the complete article. Shaping new guidelines for evaluating vaccine cost-effectiveness The WHO’s Weekly Epidemiologic Record (September 15) featured recommendations on assessing the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines. A March 2006 meeting was convened by WHO, the US CDC, and PATH as a forum for participants to review country-level data as well as global guidelines and a standard protocol for future costing studies. These recommendations are an important component of the evidence that decision-makers will weigh in considering potential rotavirus vaccine introduction. In an encouraging twist, the meeting’s recommendations to decision-makers in developing countries are providing important guidance to the evaluation of vaccine introduction in the industrialized world. The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) looks to follow the lead of RVP and partners in developing standardized methodology for measuring the cost-effectiveness of vaccines. According to Dr. Jean Clare Smith, CDC medical officer and assistant to the director for immunization policy, “Although the focus of the meeting was international, the discussions and recommendations parallel work being done at CDC to develop a standardized approach to economic analyses of vaccines being considered by the ACIP for introduction in the US.” Lancet article provides update on current rotavirus vaccines Our CDC partners continue to strengthen the evidence base through surveillance of rotavirus morbidity and mortality and training initiatives. In a recent Lancet review article (July 22), CDC experts detailed the status of rotavirus vaccines and the urgency to make them accessible in the developing world. “Rotavirus vaccines: current prospects and future challenges” provides background on rotavirus disease, historic milestones in vaccine development, and a summary of the obstacles to overcome in accelerating their introduction. Upcoming international conferences will offer a forum for discussion of the potential benefits of rotavirus vaccines, as well as broader initiatives for controlling diarrheal disease. Click on the links below for details on registration, abstract submission guidelines, and general information. April 25 – 27, 2007; Lisbon, Portugal Sponsored by several vaccine manufacturers, this event will feature discussion of diarrheal disease burden in industrialized and developing countries, as well as updates and research on promising vaccine candidates to protect against enteric infections. March 4 – 6, 2007; Dhaka, Bangladesh The theme of this year’s conference is “Partnership in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.” PATH rotavirus resource library Enhanced Diarrheal Disease Control Resource Center Presentations from the 7th International Rotavirus Symposium Journal of Infectious Diseases special supplement: Rotavirus in Asia | |
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The PATH Rotavirus Vaccine Program is supported by the GAVI Alliance. |
Questions or comments about PATH's rotavirus vaccine program? Contact us at rvpinfo@path.org.