An update on the current and future management of rotavirus in India

More than 110 million children in India aged younger than 5 years have diarrhea, with an average of 3.2 episodes a year. It’s estimated that 7% to 8% of community-based episodes are due to rotavirus—a total of 25 million to 28 million episodes in young children a year, according to a review article published recently in the Indian Journal of Public Health.

The lack of a national rotavirus vaccination program is at the heart of this public health issue, according to this article and another review published recently in Indian Pediatrics. Both papers note that the prevalent serotypes of rotavirus are different in India, and state that the indigenous vaccines under development may be more effective.

Of deaths in children under age 5 years, 14% are due to...