June 17, 2013
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Monovalent rotavirus vaccine highly effective against disease

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During the first 2 years of life, the monovalent rotavirus vaccine was highly effective against severe rotavirus disease in US children, according to recent study findings published in Pediatrics.

“Universal rotavirus vaccination was recommended for US infants by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in February 2006, with three doses of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine, to be given at ages 2, 4, and 6 months,” researchers wrote. “In June 2008, after licensure of the monovalent two-dose vaccine, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations were updated to include this vaccine at ages 2 and 4 months.”

The study included 165 rotavirus-case patients and 428 rotavirus-negative controls presenting to one of five hospitals with diarrhea of less than 10 days’ duration from January to June 2010 or 2011, after introduction of monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1; Rotarix, GlaxoSmithKline).

Using the negative controls, researchers found RV1 was 91% (95% CI, 80-95) effective and pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5; RotaTeq, Merck) was 92% (95% CI 75-97) effective among children aged at least 8 months.

Effectiveness of RV1 against herotypic G2P[4] rotavirus was 94% (95% CI, 78-98) and 89% (95% CI, 70-96) against G1P[8]. The effectiveness of RV1 continued in children aged 12 to 23 months (91%; 95% CI, 75-96).

“Given differences in strain composition and administration schedule, understanding the effectiveness of both RV1 and RV5 in concurrent use is valuable,” researchers wrote. “Previous evaluations that have been there field effectiveness of [rotavirus vaccine] among US children were not able to specifically assess the performance of RV1 because they were performed before RV1 was in wide use.”

Disclosure: The study was funded by CDC. See study for a full list of disclosures.