UNITAG conducted an in-depth review of literature, including the WHO 2021 Position paper on Rotavirus vaccines, published systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and reports from clinical trials conducted in Africa and other high mortality countries in Latin America. They examined the efficacy and effectiveness data of the monovalent and pentavalent vaccines against vaccine and non-vaccine strains. They also had a presentation from a rotavirus expert from the WHO Africa Regional Office to share experiences of the performance of the different vaccines across the region.
The evidence showed that both monovalent and pentavalent rotavirus vaccines offer comparable protection against homotypic and heterotypic virus strains. Through cross-protection, both vaccine types elicit protection against genotypes not contained within the vaccines. In other words, none of the vaccines is better than the other.
Recommendation: The Ministry of Health should not switch rotavirus vaccine products premised on better addressing the circulating rotavirus strains, as all WHO prequalified rotavirus vaccines provide comparable protection against heterologous strains.
- Recommendation
- Africa
- Uganda
- Rotavirus
