Background: A live pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (PRV) containing 5 human-bovine (WC3) reassortants expressing human serotypes G1, G2, G3, G4 and P1A[8] was evaluated in a blinded, placebo-controlled study. Possible interactions between PRV and concomitantly administered licensed pediatric vaccines were investigated in a United States-based nested substudy (Concomitant Use Study) of the Rotavirus Efficacy and Safety Trial.
Methods: From 2002 to 2003, healthy infants approximately 6 to 12 weeks of age at entry were randomized to receive either 3 oral doses of PRV or placebo at 4- to 10-week intervals. Subjects were also to receive combined Haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B vaccine (2 doses), diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (3 doses), inactivated poliovirus vaccine (2 doses) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (3 doses) on the same day; oral poliovirus vaccine was not administered. Immunogenicity was assessed by measuring antibody responses to PRV and antigens contained in the licensed vaccines. Cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis were defined by forceful vomiting and/or -3 watery or looser-than-normal stools within a 24-hour period, and detection of rotavirus antigen in the stool. Safety was assessed by reporting of adverse events using diary cards.
Results: The Concomitant Use Study enrolled 662 subjects in the PRV group and 696 subjects in the placebo group. For the 17 antigens in the concomitantly administered vaccines, antibody responses were similar in PRV and placebo recipients, except for moderately diminished antibody responses to the pertactin component of pertussis vaccine. Efficacy of PRV against rotavirus gastroenteritis of any severity was 89.5% (95% CI = 26.5-99.8%). PRV was generally well tolerated when given concomitantly with the prespecified vaccines.
Conclusions: In this study, antibody responses to the concomitantly administered vaccines were generally similar in PRV and placebo recipients. PRV was efficacious and well tolerated when given concomitantly with pediatric vaccines licensed in the United States.