Nigeria introduces Bharat Biotech’s ROTAVAC vaccine for immunization in children

Rotavirus infection causes about 50,000 child fatalities under the age of five each year in Nigeria.

“Decades of research and product development have resulted in ROTAVAC. This vaccine is now available in several countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. We are proud to state that novel vaccines from India are saving lives worldwide,” Dr Krishna Ella, the chairman and managing director at Bharat Biotech (BB) International Limited, said in an official statement.

“We are committed to supporting and reducing the infectious disease burden amongst children in the developing world and to ensure nations like Nigeria in the African continent have access to cost-effective world-class interventions for infants and vulnerable populations. ROTAVAC is safe and effective at preventing diarrheal disease caused by the Rotavirus,” he added.

Dr Ella further said Bharat Biotech will continue to play its role in researching, developing and manufacturing novel vaccines to lower the morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases and contribute towards the achievement of universal vaccine access.

Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of diarrheal disease in the world and is responsible for over 40 per cent of diarrhoea in the children. It accounts for about 2,15,000 of the 525,000-under-5 mortality worldwide each year that are attributed to diarrheal diseases, making it the most common cause of severe diarrhoea.

ROTAVAC received WHO-Prequalification earlier in January 2018.

Bharat Biotech developed the first generation, rotavirus vaccine ROTAVAC under a public-private partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and 16 other international partners, making it the largest ever social innovation project for public health.