Speaker:Eunha Alicia Shim,
Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Title:Mathematical Modeling of Rotavirus Infection with Consideration of Vaccination and Maternal Antibodies

Abstract:The vaccination program for rotavirus in the United States is about to be launched and it will consist of giving three doses of oral vaccine to infants. The goal of this study is to set up an epidemiological model for rotavirus infection with its possible vaccination and passive immunity gained by maternal antibodies. Breast feeding is known to provide protection and this is related to the level of rotavirus-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) in breast milk. This age-structured model includes the waning effect of immunity gained from both vaccination and natural infection. We have generated numerical simulation of yearly incidence for the 50 years that followed the launching of a rotavirus vaccine. We used the model and simulations to compare different scenarios using various vaccine-efficacy and breast-feeding rates.