Rotavirus: Vaccine...

In 2006, two vaccines against Rotavirus infection were shown to be safe and effective in children: Rotarix by GlaxoSmithKline and RotaTeq by Merck. Both are taken orally and contain disabled live virus.

RotaTeq

In February 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved RotaTeq for use in the United States. Merck announced a price of $187.50 for the standard three-dose regimen; this is much more expensive than other standard childhood immunizations and, even allowing for discounts, will probably prevent widespread use of the vaccine in poor countries.

However, Merck is selling vaccines at dramatically lower prices in developing world countries and is working with a range of partners including the Rotavirus Vaccine Project, PATH and other governmental and non-governmental organizations to develop and implement mechanisms for providing access to this vaccine in the developing world.

Rotashield

An earlier vaccine, Rotashield by Wyeth-Ayerst, had to be taken off the market in the late 1990s after it was discovered in rare cases to be linked to a severe complication called intussusception. This event was so rare that widespread adoption of Rotashield in developing countries would nevertheless have saved millions of lives, but use of a vaccine deemed unsafe in the U.S. was seen as unacceptable.