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Combined RotaTeq, Rotarix vaccine series as effective as single series
Recent research found that completing a three-dose rotavirus vaccine series using both RotaTeq and Rotarix was nearly as effective as completing a single vaccine series.
“We evaluated the post-licensure vaccine effectiveness of a complete three-dose course of mixed rotavirus vaccine types according to the [Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP)] definition and compared these results with published vaccine effectiveness results for the same population and time,” Daniel C. Payne, PhD, MSPH, of the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and colleagues wrote in a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics.
Daniel C. Payne
To determine the effectiveness of a mixed RotaTeq (RV5, Merck) and Rotarix (RV1 GlaxoSmithKline) vaccine series, the researchers studied a cohort of 2,425 pediatric patients from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network. Regional immunization information systems were used to determine rotavirus vaccine status. The investigators compared 715 unvaccinated children with 75 children who received a mixed vaccine series to determine vaccine efficacy.
Data indicated that 3.1% of the overall cohort received a complete mixed RV1 and RV5 vaccine series. The adjusted vaccine effectiveness of the mixed series was 80%, which the researchers said was nearly identical to the effectiveness of a single vaccine regimen of RV5 (80%) or RV1 (80%).
Payne and colleagues also noted that extrapolation of their findings showed that roughly 100,000 children are vaccinated annually against rotavirus with a mixed vaccine series.
“Our results provide empirical evidence supporting the ACIP recommendation, which allows for the completion of a three-dose rotavirus vaccination series with either of the licensed rotavirus vaccines when necessary,” Payne and colleagues wrote. “This practice appears to significantly protect vaccinated infants against rotavirus gastroenteritis.” – by David Costill
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
