Vaccinating children against rotavirus may indirectly protect adults too, study finds
Pediatric rotavirus vaccination also indirectly protects unvaccinated adults from the highly contagious cause of severe diarrhea and vomiting, suggests a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. The findings suggest pediatric immunization against the virus may be more cost effective than previously thought, given rotavirus-related health care costs among adults.
Before the vaccine, rotavirus caused an estimated 24 million outpatient visits, 2.4 million hospitalizations, and 453,000 deaths in infants and young children worldwide each year. Following the introduction of the pediatric rotavirus vaccine in the United States, declines in the disease have been seen in both vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
Evan J. Anderson, MD, now at Emory University, and a team of researchers at Northwestern Memorial and Children’s Memorial Hospitals in Chicago looked into whether the vaccine’s benefits extended to unvaccinated adults. They compared the prevalence and genotypes of rotavirus in stool samples collected from approximately 3,500 adults before widespread implementation of pediatric rotavirus vaccination (2006-2007) with the prevalence in samples collected from 2008 to 2010. The researchers found the number of unvaccinated adults who had rotavirus was almost halved in the years after the vaccine was introduced for use in children in the U.S.
“In adults with diarrhea who see the doctor and who have testing for bacterial infections, we noticed an almost 50 percent decrease in rotavirus,” said Dr. Anderson. With previous research estimating $152 million in total adult inpatient hospital charges related to rotavirus each year in the U.S., this latest data may make pediatric vaccination “much more cost effective than previously believed.”
Dramatic declines in rotavirus prevalence were evident in both adults admitted to the hospital and in those treated as outpatients. The findings suggest that “vaccinating children can protect adults from rotavirus by decreasing the amount of rotavirus circulating in the community,” Dr. Anderson said. Because rotavirus genotypes change from year to year, the researchers also noted that “ongoing surveillance is needed to determine whether this impact is sustained.”
The positive effect of pediatric rotavirus vaccination programs on the prevalence of disease among both young and old, vaccinated or not, underscores the need to support and encourage vaccination, Dr. Anderson said. “By improving the health of children, we indirectly improve the health of adults.”
Does my child need the rotavirus vaccine?
Yes! Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis (vomiting and severe diarrhea) among children worldwide. Two different rotavirus vaccines are currently licensed for use in infants in the United States.
When does my child need the rotavirus vaccine?
Your child should receive the vaccine during the first year infancy.
There are two brands of rotavirus vaccine. A baby should get either 2 or 3 doses, depending on which brand is used.
The doses are recommended at these ages:
First Dose: 2 months of age
Second Dose: 4 months of age
Third Dose: 6 months of age (if needed)
The first dose may be given as early as 6 weeks of age, and should be given by age 14 weeks 6 days. The last dose should be given by 8 months of age.
Rotavirus vaccine may be given at the same time as other childhood vaccines.
Babies who get the vaccine may be fed normally afterward.
###
The study is available online. It is embargoed until 12:01 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013:
Clinical Infectious Diseases is a leading journal in the field of infectious disease with a broad international readership. The journal publishes articles on a variety of subjects of interest to practitioners and researchers. Topics range from clinical descriptions of infections, public health, microbiology, and immunology to the prevention of infection, the evaluation of current and novel treatments, and the promotion of optimal practices for diagnosis and treatment. The journal publishes original research, editorial commentaries, review articles, and practice guidelines and is among the most highly cited journals in the field of infectious diseases. Clinical Infectious Diseases is an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Based in Arlington, Va., IDSA is a professional society representing nearly 10,000 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases.
According to an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), serious disease in unvaccinated older children and adults can be prevented by infants being vaccinated against rotavirus. Results of the investigation are published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Among infants and young children, rotavirus is a major cause of severe diarrhea, with between 58,000 and 70,000 pediatric hospitalizations each year prior to the vaccine. Hospitalizations from children under 5 with severe infections has be considerably reduced since routine rotavirus vaccinations started on infants in the U.S. in 2006.
Investigation author Ben Lopman, PhD, and colleagues set out to determine whether the benefits of the vaccination also extended to older children (5+), adults, and the elderly who are not eligible for the vaccine. To find out whether hospital admissions for rotavirus and severe diarrhea declined among children and adults who were unvaccinated, nationally-representative records from 2000 to 2008 were analyzed.
Hospital admissions connected to rotavirus decreased in all age groups, notably in those aged between 5 to 24 years who were not eligible for the vaccine. Dr. Lopman noted that March was the highest month for rotavirus infection, and results showed this month to have the largest reduction in hospital admissions, together with a considerable reduction in rotavirus admissions for individuals 25 years and older and for severe diarrhea admissions in the elderly.
####
Jerica Pitts
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
312-558-1770
Infectious Diseases Society of America