Rigorous studies involving more than 7 000 children have shown that rotavirus vaccines are effective in protecting against severe diarrhoea in the first 2 years of life in African and Asian countries with high mortality in children younger than 5 years. The results of these studies (conducted in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Bangladesh and Vietnam) support expanded WHO recommendations to promote global use of rotavirus vaccines. 

The June issue of the medical journal "Human Vaccines" contains a report - by Simona Zipursky and colleagues - of a qualitative study of adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards immunisation conducted in 2008 in Worcester, South Africa. The authors found that while vaccination as a concept was acceptable amongst the adolescent population, low levels of knowledge about vaccines and the process of being vaccinated, as well as unfamiliarity with the concept of preventative medicine in general may hinder high uptake of routine adolecent immunisation in this peri-urban community.

The 6th Annual African Vaccinology Course will take place at the University of Cape Town in South Africa from 8 to 12 November 2010.  The course is intended for decision makers (i.e. EPI managers, clinicians, public health practitioners, nurse practitioners, academia, and scientists) in the field of vaccinology in sub-Saharan Africa.  Applications for the course were accepted up to 27 August 2010 and successful applicants will be notified on 10 September 2010.  

On 24 November 2009 the World Health Organization added VACFA to the list of Vaccine Safety Net websites, because of VACFA's adherence to the credibility and content criteria of good information practices. "This site represents an important addition to the network since it is just the second site to be included from the African region" says WHO.