Three-dose coverage reduces acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations in vaccinated, unvaccinated
TUESDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- High three-dose coverage with a universal infant pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) is effective in preventing rotavirus and non-rotavirus acute gastroenteritis (AGE) hospitalizations in vaccinated children and older individuals who are unvaccinated, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in Pediatrics.
Emma J. Field, of Queensland Health in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues compared hospitalization rates for rotavirus and non-rotavirus AGE before and after implementation of a universal RV5 program in Queensland, Australia.
In the first eligible birth cohort, the investigators found that RV5 coverage was 89.6 percent for at least one dose and 73.1 percent for three doses. The vaccine effectiveness of three doses for preventing non-rotavirus AGE hospitalization ranged from 62.3 to 63.9 percent; for preventing rotavirus hospitalizations, it ranged from 89.3 to 93.9 percent. For individuals younger than 20 years of age, there were immediate and sustained reductions in rotavirus hospitalizations after program initiation. In addition, for those younger than 5 years of age, there were immediate and continued declines in non-rotavirus AGE-coded hospitalizations after program implementation.
"RV5 is highly effective at preventing rotavirus hospitalizations in a developed country setting, confirming efficacy figures from the pivotal clinical trial. Additional direct and indirect effects are substantial and include reductions in non-rotavirus AGE hospitalizations in vaccinated age groups and rotavirus and non-rotavirus AGE hospitalization rates in older age groups," the authors write.
Two authors disclosed financial ties to GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and CSL Ltd.
Abstract
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