Vaccines are not one size fits all, just like medications: rotavirus vaccine study

The current global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has shown us once again how important vaccination is in controlling and preventing the spread of deadly diseases. Vaccinations are one of the most tried and tested public health measures aimed at the prevention and eventual eradication of various diseases. Many debilitating diseases like polio have been eradicated in countries like India due to effective vaccination strategies. Just like with any other public health initiative, there do exist various challenges for vaccination. Efficacy and correlate of protection studies are crucial in determining which vaccine works best. The rotavirus vaccine (ROTAVAC; Bharat Biotech International Ltd., Hyderabad, India) is one such example where efficacy seen in one geographical and ethnic population is not replicated elsewhere. This has prompted various researchers and pharmaceutical companies to think about customizing vaccines to the individual needs of a particular geographic and ethnic group. In this brief communication, we look at the rotavirus vaccination story and see how it laid down the idea for customized vaccination development and what the future of vaccine development looks like.