Public Health

Oral rotavirus vaccine can be coadministered with routine vaccines in babies

Last Updated: 2008-11-14 19:30:52 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The immune response to antigens in routine US infant vaccines is not affected by coadministration of RIX4414 oral human rotavirus vaccine, US and Belgian researchers report in the November issue of Pediatrics.

Dr. Penelope H. Dennehy of Rhode Island Hospital in Providence and colleagues note that RIX4414 has been shown to be safe, well tolerated, immunogenic, and highly effective against rotavirus gastroenteritis. It is currently licensed in more than 100 countries.

To confirm that RIX4414 does not interfere with routine vaccination, the team studied 484 healthy infants who each received 3 doses of combined diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B- poliovirus vaccine, 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months. Serum antibodies were measured after dose 3 of these vaccines.

The children were randomized to co-administration of RIX4414 at 2 and 4 months or to independent administration of the vaccine at 3 and 5 months.

The researchers found that antibody responses to all antigens were similar regardless of whether or not RIX4414 was given at the same time as the other vaccines. They note that seroprotective antibody concentrations against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and poliovirus were achieved by 97.9% or more of the infants in both groups.

The investigators conclude that "coadministration of RIX4414 with licensed routine infant vaccines recommended in the United States does not negatively impact the immune response to any of the antigens...that are currently included in the recommended schedule of immunizations."

Pediatrics 2008;122:e1062-e1066.