A pilot study on use of live attenuated rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix™) as an infection challenge model chilengi2020pilot

This study evaluates the use of Rotarix™ as a live-attenuated challenge agent in a cohort of 22 Zambian infants. The infants received two standard doses of the vaccine at 6 and 10 weeks of age. The study aimed to assess stool shedding of rotavirus using NSP2 qPCR, with samples collected on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28 following each dose. The primary outcome was the viral shedding index, calculated as the average natural logarithm of viral copies per gram of stool. The study found that viral shedding was high after the first dose but reduced after the second dose, indicating the induction of mucosal immunity. The study supports the use of Rotarix as a live-attenuated infection challenge model.

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