Rotavirus vaccines: current global impact and future perspectives.

As of May 2016, 81 countries have introduced Rotarix or RotaTeq rotavirus vaccines into their national immunization program. Despite initially slow uptake in some countries and differences in vaccine effectiveness (VE) between high-, low- and middle-income countries, impact of the vaccines has been swift and striking in all settings, with good VE against vaccine-type and nonvaccine-type strains. Newly published research indicates poor nutrition is associated with decreased VE and breastfeeding at the time of vaccination does not affect vaccine response. Vaccines in development and proposed alternate schedules also promise to address limitations of the current vaccines and optimize rotavirus disease prevention.