Vaccine against deadly rotavirus launched in Mexico

Boston Globe article

"A new vaccine against the rotavirus, which can cause fatal illness in children, is being launched this week in Mexico rather than in the developed world, marking a sea change in how major companies market drugs worldwide.....

"This is the first time a drug company has sidestepped US and European regulators, allowing it to get out the drug in time for the peak infection season in one region where the disease is deadliest, and to beat competitors working on similar vaccines.

"Heralded as a public health breakthrough that could significantly dent child mortality, the vaccine's global launch in Mexico sets a new model for bringing such remedies first to poorer populations often ravaged by preventable diseases."