Routine rotavirus vaccine halves severe diarrhoea cases in Kerala children: JMMCRI Study

Key points

• A set of new studies from Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute (JMMCRI), Thrissur, brings reassuring news for parents: a routine vaccine is sharply reducing serious diarrhoea in young children, while doctors are now treating a dangerous intestinal condition called Intussusception without surgery in most cases.
• Researchers at JMMCRI, in collaboration with Christian Medical College Vellore and government medical colleges in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, studied how well the Indian-made rotavirus vaccine ROTASIIL has been working since its introduction into Kerala’s immunisation programme in 2019. They analysed cases of children under five hospitalised with diarrhoea between November 2020 and December 2023. The results were encouraging.
• The number of children hospitalised with moderate to severe rotavirus diarrhoea in Kerala dropped from 36 per cent to 18 per cent after the introduction of the vaccine.
• The research team, led by Dr Aparna Namboodiripad, says the findings clearly show that the vaccine is...