Report of the Third European Expert Meeting on Rotavirus Vaccination: Progress in rotavirus universal mass vaccination in Europe

The World Health Organization (WHO), the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (ETAGE) and the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases/European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPID/ESPGHAN) have also recommended universal RV immunisation of healthy infants, in parallel with ensuring that adequate measures are taken to attain high vaccination coverage and timely administration of each dose [8-10]. Western Europe Introduction of RV UMV in Europe has been relatively slow compared with the Americas, with only Austria, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg (and - outside of Europe proper - Israel) having introduced RV UMV by 2012.\n Furthermore, introduction of RV UMV has resulted in a decrease in the incidence of and a delay in the yearly peak of RVGE in many settings. [...]positive updates on safety issues pertaining to the presence of PCV and risk of IS or Kawasaki disease have allayed some concerns regarding RV vaccines in the wider community, and vaccine impact and effectiveness studies will form an increasingly important strand of evidence to support the widening of RV UMV, both in Europe and elsewhere.