The Food and Drug Administration approved the Rotarix vaccine on April 3, making it the second vaccine approved for the treatment of rotavirus in the United States.

The oral live-attenuated vaccine, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, is approved for the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis caused by G1 and non-G1 types (G3, G4, and G9) in infants and children when administered as a two-dose series between the ages of 6 and 24 weeks, according to the FDA statement announcing the approval. Rotarix--previously approved in more than 100 countries, where more than 25 million doses have been distributed--will be available commercially in the United States in the ...