May 10, 2010

First nationally representative data show dramatic impact of rotavirus vaccines on diarrhea hospitalizations in US children

A new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases reveals a dramatic reduction of acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations in the US following the 2006 introduction of the RotaTeq® rotavirus vaccine (Merck & Co., Inc.). Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality gathered information on hospitalization rates from 18 states, where the combined populations account for almost half of all US children under five years old. During the 2008 rotavirus season (January through June), acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations dropped by 46 percent, as compared to rotavirus seasons from 2000 through 2006.

Among children under six months of age, hospitalizations were reduced by 30 percent in 2008; and by 50 percent among children between 6 and 23 months old. Researchers also recorded a lower rate of hospitalization among age groups either too young or too old for rotavirus vaccination, suggesting that these children may have been protected by the “herd immunity” caused by their peers being vaccinated.

These new data offer the first nationally representative evaluation of rotavirus hospitalization rates in the US following vaccine introduction. Despite relatively modest rotavirus vaccination coverage nationwide—about one-third of age-eligible children received a full, 3-dose course of RotaTeq in 2008—the vaccine demonstrated a dramatic impact.

The PATH Rotavirus Vaccine Trials Partnership is a collaboration between PATH, WHO, the US CDC, clinical study sites, and vaccine manufacturers. The partnership’s activities are funded by the GAVI Alliance.