TWO new vaccines could cut the toll of a virus that infects almost all children by the age of three.

Rotavirus, which causes gastroenteritis, kills at least half a million children under the age of five every year in poor countries. In Britain, thousands of children need hospital treatment for the infection every year, though it is seldom fatal.

The symptoms are vomiting, fever, stomach pain and diarrhoea. In severe cases, it causes severe dehydration and death if left untreated. Trials of two new vaccines, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that the infection may be conquered. Rotateq, made by Merck, prevented 98 per cent of severe disease, while GlaxoSmithKline’s Rotarix prevented 85 per cent.

Both vaccines also reduced the need for hospital treatment, Rotateq by 63 per cent and Rotarix by 42 per cent.

The results suggest that Rotateq is the better of the two, but this may be deceptive. It was tested in the US and Finland, while Rotarix was tested in the more demanding environment of Latin America.

Both trials involved more than 60,000 children. If the reduction in hospital treatment achieved translated into a reduction in deaths, the results imply that as many as 300,000 lives could be saved every year.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Afghanistan News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Times Charity Appeal: SolarAid
• Is it Black Monday all over again for Dubai?
• Behind the scenes at the biggest deal