A new vaccine against rotavirus made by the Serum Institute of India — the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer — and tested in Niger by Médecins Sans Frontières, is being hailed as a major public health breakthrough for children.

We anticipate that both new vaccines will contribute to the global supply which will then increase the number of children vaccinated.

The vaccine, called Rotasil, or BRV-PV, is 67 percent effective in preventing severe episodes of rotavirus-related diarrhea, according to results of its trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year. That could put it ahead of existing oral vaccines, GSK’s Rotarix or Merck’s RotaTeq, which showed 49 percent efficacy in Malawi and 42 percent in Bangladesh.

Rotasil will likely be cheaper than the two available vaccines, and it will fill a key supply gap; there is a global shortage of both these options. Also, unlike its peers, Rotasil can last up to six months in extreme heat without refrigeration.

Read the full article by Sophie Cousins at Devex International Development