[Rotavirus vaccine].

Rotavirus is the single main cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years of age, resulting in over 527,000 deaths worldwide annually. The majority of rotavirus-related deaths are seen in less-developed countries; in developed countries, rotavirus is an infrequent cause of death but a commom cause of hospitalizations. Rotavirus gastroenteritis was also estimated to result in approximately 790,000 doctor visits every year leading to medical intervention among children aged 0-5 years in Japan. At present, the treatment of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Japan is limited to symptomatic measures and no antiviral therapy is available. A phase III, randomized, double-blind study evaluated the efficacy, reactogenicity, safety and immunogenicity of a human rotavirus vaccine in Japanese infants. Rotavirus vaccine was efficacious, well-tolerated and immunogenic in Japanese infants and introduction of vaccination would help in reducing the disease burden.