3.4  Rotavirus vaccine

Rotavirus vaccine is one of the new antiviral vaccines that should soon become available as part of the routine EPI in Ethiopia. Rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe diarrhoeal disease and dehydration among children in many developed and developing countries. The WHO estimates that 20% of child deaths under five years from diarrhoeal diseases worldwide are due to rotavirus infection — most of them in countries like Ethiopia. Globally, more than 125 million cases and up to 610,000 deaths annually are due to rotavirus diarrhoea.