title: Building laboratory capacity to support the global rotavirus surveillance network.
abstract: In 2001, in anticipation of rotavirus vaccine licensure and introduction, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners established regional laboratory surveillance networks for rotavirus detection and strain type monitoring among hospitalized children aged <5 years. In 2006, two WHO-prequalified oral rotavirus vaccines were licensed: a 2-dose, single-strain vaccine (Rotarix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) and a 3-dose, multistrain vaccine (RotaTeq, Merck). Both vaccines provide protection against a range of rotavirus strain types, generally classified as G and P types based on specific viral proteins. Based on results of clinical trial data, disease burden data from surveillance networks, and findings from vaccine impact studies, WHO recommends that all countries include rotavirus vaccination in national immunization programs. Vaccination is recommended to help reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with rotavirus, a leading cause of diarrhea in children aged <5 years that was responsible for approximately 450,000 deaths in 2008. This report describes the expansion of the regional rotavirus laboratory surveillance networks to a global surveillance network, the implementation of data quality assurance measures to ensure quality laboratory data reporting to support rotavirus surveillance activities, and data reporting through the surveillance network. Timely, quality surveillance data can provide baseline estimates of rotavirus disease burden to inform decisions regarding rotavirus vaccine introduction in national immunization programs and can help monitor the impact of vaccine introduction on disease trends.
mesh_terms: D057191:Capacity Building; D002675:Child, Preschool; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007753:Laboratories / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011786:Quality Control; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D014944:World Health Organization / Q000458:organization & administration*
chemical_list: D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines