When protection becomes a paradox: maternal antibodies clear oral rotavirus vaccines before the infant immune system can learn

Child morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases remain high in many low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the need for the development of more effective vaccination strategies. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Chandler et al, demonstrate in a neonatal mouse model that maternal antibodies interfere with oral rotavirus vaccination by accelerating viral clearance, offering a mechanistic rationale for reduced vaccine performance in high-burden settings.