Rotavirus infection is a major killer of young children especially in developing countries. Among children under 5 years old it causes over 600 000 deaths, two million hospital admissions, and 25 million clinic attendances every year. In 1999 an effective rotavirus vaccine was withdrawn in the USA because it caused intussusception in approximately one in 10 000 recipients. Now two new rotavirus vaccines have been reported to be efficacious and safe.

The vaccines were Rotarix …