Rotavirus Vaccination Tied to Large Drop in Infections

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS

Rotavirus diagnoses dropped markedly after the vaccine was introduced in 2006, according to findings in MMWR.

Using data from the CDC's National Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Surveillance System, researchers compared rotavirus activity during roughly 6 years before the vaccine was introduced and 11 years afterward. Among the findings:

• The median annual number of rotavirus tests decreased by about a third from the pre- to postvaccine period.

• The median annual proportion of tests positive for rotavirus declined 76%, from 26% to 6%.

• The median length of the rotavirus season decreased from 26 weeks to 9 weeks; the season began later in the year in the postvaccine period.

The researchers, noting that rotavirus vaccine coverage has plateaued at 70%, conclude: "To maximize the public health impact of rotavirus vaccination, efforts to improve coverage and on-time vaccination should continue."