Rotavirus vaccine development began soon after the virus was discovered in 1973, and in August 1998, the FDA approved RotaShield, an oral live virus vaccine containing four components (tetravalent) derived from a strain of rhesus monkey rotavirus. Manufactured by Wyeth-Lederle, the vaccine was approved to be administered in a 3-dose series at about 2, 4, and 6 months.
