The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Country's leading child specialists yesterday laid emphasis on administering infants rotavirus vaccine to save their lives from the deadly rotavirus gastroenteritis.

They said that worldwide rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe gastroenteritis among children. It is estimated that some 6,10,000 children die of rotavirus gastroenteritis each year. In Bangladesh, an estimated 24 lakh gastroenteritis occur each year, of which, 3 lakh cases are severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. Of them, 20,000 die every year.

Speaking at a launching symposium of Rotarix, a new rotavirus vaccine, at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city, they also called for administering two doses of oral Rotarix vaccine to infants between 6 weeks and 6 months of age to have protection against rotavirus infection.

Rotarix vaccine is manufactured in Belgium by globally renowned pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. It is imported and marketed in Bangladesh by GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh Limited.

Officials of the GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh Limited said two doses of Rotarix vaccine costs around Tk 2,700. The Directorate of Drug Administration has given approval of the price of the vaccine. The vaccine will be available in the country's vaccination centers from the next week. The vaccine is provided as a powder and solution for reconstitution as an oral suspension. It is administered to infants twice-first dose is given from the age of 6 weeks and the second dose must be completed by 24 weeks of life. Minimum interval between two doses is at least 4 weeks.

GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh expects that some 30,000 infants would be vaccinated by Rotarix in the country in the launching year.

With National Professor MR Khan in the chair, Professor Phua Kong Boo, a professor of KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore

Was present at the symposium as keynote speaker.

Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Professor Salim Shakur and renowned gynaecologist Professor TA Chowdhury were present.

Noted child specialists from all over the country attended the symposium and laid emphasis on preventing the rotavirus gastroenteritis disease by vaccination.

Rotarix vaccine is manufactured in a research center of GlaxoSmithkline in Belgium.

Professor Salim Shakur said Rotavirus is everywhere and infants are at the greatest risk of infection. "As infected infants suffer from fever and vomiting along with 10 to 20 episodes of diarrhoea per day, rotavirus gastroenteritis can suddenly become very serious and lead to dehydration and hospitalization," he said.

Prof MR Khan said the availability of the rotavirus vaccine is an important milestone, as vaccination is the most effective way to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis.