First indigenous rotavirus vaccine to be unveiled today

In its effort to bring down the infant mortality rate (IMR), the government will on Saturday introduce the first-ever indigenous rotavirus vaccine in its routine immunisation for protecting children from diarrhoea. Union health minister J.P. Nadda will launch the vaccine in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Manufactured by Bharat Biotech, the vaccine is expected to reduce more than a lakh deaths per year from diarrhoea. “It’s a great move. The vaccine will drastically reduce the infant mortality rate by saving lives of children,” C.K. Mishra, additional secretary in the health ministry, said. An estimated 8.53 lakh children under the age of one will be administered the vaccine annually at 6, 10 and 14 weeks.

Rotavirus is the primary cause of moderate to severe diarrhoea morbidity and mortality among children less than five years of age. According to government data, rotavirus alone is responsible for up to 40% of all cases of severe diarrhoea in India. Of the overall child mortality in India, diarrhoea is responsible for 10% burden. About 78,000 children died due to rotavirus in 2014 and about 8.7 lakh hospitalisations were reported due to the virus.

A recent study published in the Lancet claimed that a “single episode of diarrhoea increases the risk of death of a child by 8 times”. Severe dehydration caused by rotavirus can cause death among young children.

Importantly, so far 80 countries have introduced a rotavirus vaccine in their national immunisation programmes, which includes many low-income countries in Africa too. In fact, the introduction of vaccine has helped many countries bring down deaths in children. Significantly, Mexico recorded a 46% drop in diarrhoea-related deaths in children under the age of 5 after the introduction of the vaccine in 2007. Also, in Brazil, a 22% drop in deaths was recorded after the introduction of vaccine.

Once launched, the vaccine will be available at all government health facilities for free. However, as of now, it is also available in over a 100 countries in the private market, including India. In 2011, the Indian Academy of Paediatrics included the rotavirus vaccine in its recommended immunisation schedule.
The vaccine is available in the private sector at about Rs 3,000 for a full course. The vaccine also provides “herd immunity” by reducing transmission of rotavirus.