Sometimes we find that despite our desire to use one brand of a licensed rotavirus vaccine, our offices have run out of one licensed product and we turn to another that has a different schedule for administration. So does switching or mixing up rotavirus vaccine schedules hamper the immunity provided by this vaccine? Libster et al (10.1542/peds.2015-2603) share the results of their non-inferiority study looking at the effectiveness of using a mixed schedule when compared to staying with a single vaccine formulation schedule. The authors performed a randomized, multicenter, open-label study looking at 5 different schedules involving two and three doses of vaccines and the proportion of seropositivity was measured one month after completion of a particular sequence of vaccines used to complete the series.
More than 1300 children participated in this study, and the results are reassuring—so reassuring that our colleagues on the Committee on Infectious Diseases have added a commentary to make sure we understand the importance of this study telling us that it is ok to “mix and match” rotavirus vaccines rather than delay vaccinating infants against this troublesome virus. Inject some time and energy into reading the study and commentary and learn more.
