|
Dear partners and colleagues,
We are pleased to present the September 2008 issue of Rotavirus Update. As in previous issues, we bring you the latest news on accomplishments in the field, but this month we also focus on work that remains to be done. Advancements in the past few years have brought the global community to an unprecedented place in terms of new vaccine introduction. But efforts are far from over. Accelerated vaccine introduction in Latin America now brings the opportunity to evaluate vaccine impact in real-world settings, while new partnerships look to broaden the market of rotavirus vaccines with novel candidates. Finally, work in countries awaiting the results of clinical trials to test vaccine safety and efficacy continues to move ahead in the context of a broad diarrheal disease control agenda.
Collaboration is a key element of these activities, as is building off lessons learned through achievements to date. Our experiences working together provide much to draw from and offer a reassuring promise of continued success.
Sincerely,
John R. Wecker, PhD Director, PATH Rotavirus Vaccine Program |
September 2008 In this issue WHO meeting on new vaccines yields recommendations on rotavirus vaccine introduction Murdoch Children's Research Institute collaborates with PATH on rotavirus vaccine candidate Enhanced diarrheal disease control efforts expand to Asia Rotavirus Surveillance News summarizes vaccine effectiveness studies US immunization recommendations include Rotarix® Survey highlights need to elevate priority of diarrheal disease Improved access to rotavirus resources on the web Editorial highlights diarrheal disease health-environment connection in Africa |
|
| |
|
WHO meeting on new vaccines yields recommendations on rotavirus vaccine introduction The annual meeting on new and underutilized vaccines implementation (NUVI), convened by WHO, brings together global-, regional- and country-level stakeholders representing both the private and public sectors. The 2008 meeting, held June 23-25 in Geneva, featured a discussion on introduction issues related to rotavirus vaccines. The resulting recommendations include the following:
Further details on the 2008 NUVI meeting and the NUVI web page on rotavirus are available online. Under a new partnership, Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and PATH will support the further development of the MCRI rotavirus vaccine candidate, RV3. PATH will provide up to US$350,000 to assist MCRI in the production of clinical trial lots of RV3 under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) at Meridian Life Science in Memphis, Tennessee, in preparation for Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials to be conducted by MCRI.
The RV3 vaccine candidate was developed from a strain of rotavirus that was discovered in babies at a newborn nursery in Melbourne, Australia. Babies who were naturally infected with the RV3 strain had no symptoms and were protected from contracting rotavirus disease in the first three years of life. Enhanced diarrheal disease control efforts expand to Asia While studies to determine the safety and efficacy of rotavirus vaccines in Asia are ongoing, PATH is helping to raise awareness in the region, placing rotavirus in the context of broad diarrheal disease control planning. A new collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province is educating health workers about diarrheal disease control interventions and distributing updated standards of practice. Future activities will look to expanding use of these standards to improve clinical case management nationwide.
In Vietnam, PATH is collaborating with the MOH and other in-country partners to evaluate the evidence for and feasibility of rotavirus vaccine uptake, along with the potential for future enteric vaccines. A pilot project in Binh Dinh province will scale up use of diarrheal disease treatment interventions, including zinc and low-osmolarity oral rehydration solution, and results will inform national planning. Rotavirus Surveillance News summarizes ongoing vaccine effectiveness studies The latest issue of Rotavirus Surveillance News provides an update on vaccine effectiveness studies in Latin America. The Pan American Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Rotavirus Vaccine Program (RVP) are collaborating with the MOH in Nicaragua on a case control study to evaluate the effectiveness of RotaTeq®, manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc. These partners also are working with the MOH in El Salvador on a similar study of Rotarix®, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Both studies were initiated in 2007 and are ongoing. Further details are available in the July 2008 surveillance newsletter.
In other rotavirus surveillance news, a recent article in Vaccine summarizes activities of the Asian Rotavirus Surveillance Network, including measurement of disease burden in GAVI-eligible countries and economic evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine introduction. US immunization recommendations updated to include Rotarix® vaccine Following FDA approval of the Rotarix® vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices updated its recommendations on rotavirus vaccination to include information on administering the newly licensed vaccine. Data on both Rotarix® and Merck's RotaTeq® presented to the ACIP during its June 2008 meeting are available online. Survey highlights need to elevate priority of diarrheal disease A recent PATH research report shows that global health policymakers, donors, and scientists are concerned that diarrheal disease does not receive enough attention among global health priorities. The research, conducted by FSG Social Impact Advisers, included interviews and surveys of 100 international stakeholders to gain insight into the global policy and funding environment surrounding diarrheal disease. Respondents expressed great interest in efforts that promote an integrated approach to diarrheal disease control, and they identified water and sanitation, oral rehydration solution/therapy, breastfeeding, and vaccines as the key elements that should be included in a "package" of interventions. Improved access to rotavirus resources on the web PATH's online rotavirus resources were recently enhanced with the redesign of the Vaccine Resource Library (VRL) and updates to the RVP program website.
Continuing to offer high-quality, scientifically accurate documents and links, the new VRL is easier to navigate, with a web-based database that provides several ways to access content. The VRL is geared for health professionals in the developing and industrialized worlds, as well as journalists, policymakers, community leaders, parents, and anyone else interested in vaccine-related resources.
The RVP website now offers updates on strategic programmatic objectives to address country needs, convene key partners, and conduct rigorous science. An interactive timeline also depicts the many advancements in rotavirus surveillance and control, achieved by several committed partners in just a few short years. Editorial highlights health-environment connection for diarrheal disease control in Africa A recent editorial from the director of PATH's Enteric Vaccine Initiative emphasized the potential of diarrheal disease control in addressing Millennium Development Goals on child health and environmental sustainability. Marking the close of the First Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and the Environment in Africa, the article calls for action in addressing "one of Africa's great, but ignored, health crises." Rotavirus Vaccine Program website | |
|
| |
|
The PATH Rotavirus Vaccine Program is supported by the GAVI Alliance. | |
Questions or comments about the PATH Rotavirus Vaccine Program? Contact us at rvpinfo@path.org.
© 2004-2008, PATH