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Triage calls declined with routine rotavirus vaccination
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Confirmed cases of rotavirus have decreased since the licensure of rotavirus vaccine in 2007, along with calls to nurse triages related to all-cause gastroenteritis, according to study results published online.
Derek J. Williams, MD, MPH, and colleagues of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, said calls to a 24-hour electronic nurse triage system from May 2004 to April 2010 decreased by nearly 30% during the historic rotavirus season in the 3 years after vaccine licensure.
During the study, 156,362 calls were logged, 19,731 of which were considered gastroenteritis-related. Compared with the pre-vaccine era, the proportion of gastroenteritis calls decreased by 8% in the 3 years after licensure and 23% to 31% during the peak months for rotavirus. The reduction in calls was most significant during March and April, according to the study findings.
“Since rotavirus vaccine licensure, gastroenteritis-related call proportions have declined, and peak call proportions correlate with regional norovirus activity … highlighting the role of that pathogen in community [gastroenteritis],” the researchers wrote.
Williams and colleagues emphasized the importance of active surveillance of mild gastroenteritis, which will enable clinicians to “more accurately assess the total vaccine impact on both mild and more serious disease.”
Disclosure: Williams reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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