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US hospitalizations for rotavirus declined after vaccine introduction
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Since the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, there has been a “marked reduction” in hospitalizations, according to a presentation at the 61st Annual Epidemiologic Intelligence Service Conference held in Atlanta recently.
Rishi Desai, MD, MPH, of the division of viral diseases at the CDC, and colleagues presented data from the State Inpatient Database between 2000 and 2009 and analyzed gastroenteritis and rotavirus-coded hospitalizations for children aged younger than 5 years.
The researchers said before vaccine implementation in 2006, gastroenteritis-coded hospitalizations for children in that age group were 74 per 10,000 children. This number declined significantly after the rotavirus vaccine was introduced, according to Desai. In 2008, the number was 51 per 10,000 children, and in 2009, it was 50 per 10,000 children, for an overall decrease of 32%. The researchers reported an overall drop in rates of gastroenteritis and rotavirus among all ages after the introduction of the vaccine.
Desai and colleagues said this translated into a savings of approximately $121 million in health care costs directly attributable to vaccination.
According to Desai and colleagues: “What was remarkable about this investigation was how fast the vaccine worked. Within 2 to 3 years after introducing the vaccine, the leading cause of diarrhea (rotavirus) among children is almost gone. It was amazing to see firsthand how the rotavirus vaccine is doing a lot of good by preventing hospitalizations and saving almost $80 million a year.”
For more information:
- Desai R. Session A. Presented at: 61st Annual Epidemiologic Intelligence Service Conference; April 16-21, 2012; Atlanta.
Disclosure: Dr. Desai reports no relevant financial disclosures.