Long-term Impact of Rotavirus Vaccination on Gastroenteritis Hospitalizations Among US Children, 2000–2022
- Presentation Day/Time: Friday, April 24, 10:05 AM
- Presenter: Dennis Nyachoti, DrPH, MPH, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory, Diseases Division of Viral Diseases
The Issue
- Before rotavirus vaccines, rotavirus caused 55,000–70,000 hospitalizations among U.S. children annually. Rotavirus vaccines were introduced in the United States in 2006, yet their long-term impact has not been assessed.
What We Did
- We assessed the impact of rotavirus vaccination on gastroenteritis and rotavirus-coded hospitalizations among U.S. children aged less than 5 years for the 15 years since its introduction.
What We Found
- Compared with pre-vaccine gastroenteritis and rotavirus-coded hospitalization rates, post-vaccine rates decreased by 34% and 65%, respectively. Rate reductions were higher among children aged less than 2 years old compared with children aged 2–4 years old. Post-vaccine years displayed a biennial pattern, with higher seasonal peaks in odd compared with even years, although peaks in odd years became progressively less pronounced. This pattern persisted until the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021), when record low gastroenteritis and rotavirus-coded hospitalization rates occurred.
What This Means
- Sustained reductions in gastroenteritis hospitalizations, which were greater among younger children, reaffirm the continued, long-term protection rotavirus vaccines confer against hospitalizations in U.S. children. Additional data are needed to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic might have affected the seasonal patterns of the virus.
