Profiling innate and adaptive immune responses to rotavirus vaccination in Zambian infants

Globally, diarrhoea is the second largest cause of death among young children. Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in children under five years old in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Rotavirus vaccines (RVV) are currently in use in LMICs but they are less effective in protecting children. Improving the performance of RVVs in LMICs requires better understanding of infants’ responses in these settings.

Rotavirus infection is prevalent among infants in LMICs before vaccination and it elicits different types of protective responses involving many components of the immune system. I will make a detailed characterisation of these immune responses in Zambian infants before they receive rotavirus vaccination and their response to vaccination. 

This study will provide better understanding of the immune response to RVVs in children in LMICs and can inform the design of more effective vaccines.

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Training Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine.