FROM THE JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
There have been important reductions in hospitalization for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and mortality since licensure of rotavirus vaccines 10 years ago, even in low-income countries with high child mortality, according to a new analysis of data from 27 countries.
In a search of articles published between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 6, 2016, in the PubMed database, Eleanor Burnett of the division of viral diseases at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, and her associates identified 57 articles reporting on 59 data sources from 27 countries.
Among children younger than 1 year, the median percent reduction in AGE hospitalizations and/or emergency department visits was 32% overall and 36%, 28%, and 33% in countries with low, medium, and high child mortality, respectively.
Among children younger than 5 years, the median percent reduction in AGE hospitalizations and/or ED visits was 38% overall, and 41%, 30%, and 46% in countries with low, medium, and high child mortality, respectively.
The median reduction in AGE mortality among children younger than 1 year was 31% overall. In countries with medium and high child mortality, it was 45% and 30%, respectively.
The median reduction in AGE mortality in children younger than 5 years was 42% overall. In countries with medium and high child mortality, it was 50% and 36%, respectively. No estimates have been published from countries with low child mortality ( J Infect Dis. 2017 Apr 18. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jix186 ).
“In several, but not all studies, we observed reductions in rotavirus and AGE hospitalizations in age groups explicitly not eligible for vaccination, indicating evidence of indirect protection,” Ms. Burnett and her associates said. This population was not directly assessed in the studies.
The authors had no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose.
