GSK's rotavirus vacc cleared by the WHO

UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline says its rotavirus vaccine has been awarded prequalification status by the World Health Organization, the first time a vaccine for this condition has received such clearance.

The WHO prequalification endorses the vaccine's quality, safety and efficacy, and its ability to fulfill tender specifications, and allows United Nations agencies, such as the Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF and others to make large purchases and use it in their mass vaccination programs. Rotavirus infects virtually every child in the world within the first five years of life. It is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in children worldwide, and the single biggest cause of diarrhea-related deaths.