Indigenous vaccine against diarrhoea virus ‘safe’
- A Phase III randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 116E rotavirus vaccine undertaken in infants at 3 centres in India. Findings :
- safe for usage
- had modest efficacy of 56.4% against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis during the first year of life
- India witnesses 25% rotavirus deaths world over, with about 75,000 to 1,22,000 deaths every year
- Facts about Rotavirus :
- almost 10% of all under 5 deaths is due to Rotavirus diarrhoea
- accounts for almost 39% diarrhoea-related admissions in India
- about 70% of admissions is seen in the first year of life
- Bharat Biotech International (Hyderabad) :
- undertook clinical development of the vaccine
- would manufacture the vaccine
- facilitate government procurement of the vaccine at not more than $1 per dose
Exams Perspective :
- Rotavirus Diarrhoea