WAidid suggests a recently published paper that says the rotavirus vaccines can be used interchangeabily. The study, infact, aimed to investigate the noninferiority of the immune responses to the 2 licensed rotavirus vaccines when administered as a mixed schedule compared with administering a single vaccine formulation alone

SUMMARY:
Rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix and RotaTeq) are safe and effective. In clinical practice it is often not possible for infants to receive the same formulation for all doses. No studies have addressed the interchangeability of the 2 different rotavirus vaccine formulations. The goal of the study was to investigate the noninferiority of the immune responses to the 2 licensed rotavirus vaccines when administered as a mixed schedule compared with administering a single vaccine formulation alone. Healthy infants (6–14 weeks of age) were randomized to receive rotavirus vaccines in 1 of 5 different schedules (2 using a single vaccine for all doses, and 3 using mixed schedules). The group receiving only the monovalent rotavirus vaccine received 2 doses of vaccine and the other 4 groups received 3 doses of vaccine. Serum for immunogenicity testing was obtained 1 month after the last vaccine dose and the proportion of seropositive children (rotavirus immunoglobulin A ≥ 20 U/mL) were compared in all the vaccine groups. Mixed rotavirus vaccine schedules are safe and noninferior in immunogenicity when compared with each licensed rotavirus vaccine when administered alone.

AUTHORS: Libster R, McNeal M, Walter EB, Shane AL, Winokur P, Cress G, Berry AA, Kotloff KL, Sarpong K, Turley CB, Harrison CJ, Pahud BA, Marbin J, Dunn J, El-Khorazaty J, Barrett J, Edwards KM; VTEU Rotavirus Vaccine Study Work Group.

To read the article online, click here.