Rotarix™: an example of a recently developed oral vaccine against rotavirus for infants

Rotavirus gastrointeritis (RVGE) is the leading cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children between 6-24 months of age world-wide. Prospective epidemiological studies have shown that already 20% of acute rotavirus gastrointeritis occurs during the first 6 months of life. It has recently been estimated that world-wide un children under 5 years of age, 611,000 (Range 454,000-705,000) rotavirus-related deaths occur each year, with the majority of these deaths occurring in developing countries - the Asian subcontinent, Africa, and Latin America.