Rotavirus vaccine studies in Europe

Following the discovery and recognition of rotavirus as an important human enteropathogen, work towards the development of rotavirus vaccines was begu n in the USA and Europe. The first candidate rotavirus vaccine was launched by SmithKLine-RIT, Belgium, and studied in clinical trials in Finland, Yug oslavia, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the UK. Efficacy trials in Finland of RIT 4237 strain live oral bovine rotavirus vaccine resulted in some fun damental findings about rotavirus immunity in humans: protection against di sease rather than infection; better protection against severe than mild dis ease and heterotypic rather than homotypic protection. Another bovine rotav irus vaccine, strain WC-3, was studied briefly in France. Also studies of r hesus rotavirus vaccine were started early in Europe, and efficacy studies were carried out in Finland and Sweden. Recently, rhesus-human re-assortant tetravalent (RRV-TV) rotavirus vaccine was tested in a held trial in Finla nd this study was pivotal for the registration of the vaccine in the USA an d European Union countries. Despite extensive experience with rotavirus vac cines in Europe, the need for such vaccines in many European countries stil l requires further assessment.