Efficacy of human rotavirus vaccine RIX4414 in malnourished children

Abstract

The effect of nutritional status on protective efficacy of a live attenuated human rotavirus vaccine (RIX4414) was studied. Vaccine protection was evaluated through a secondary analysis of data from an efficacy study conducted in Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela. Vaccine efficacy against rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) was similar in well-nourished and malnourished infants: 74.1 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 52.2 percentû86.2 percent) and 73 percent (95 percent CI, 11.2 percentû92.3 percent) for severe RVGE and 60.9 percent (95 percent CI, 37.4 percentû75.4 percent) and 61.2 percent (95 percent CI, 10.4 percentû83.1 percent) for RVGE of any severity, respectively. RIX4414 significantly decreased the rate of RVGE regardless of nutritional status, which suggests that this patient group can also benefit from rotavirus vaccination.