Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Dec;1(4):268-77.
doi: 10.1093/jpids/pis058. Epub 2012 Jun 22.

Laboratory-Confirmed Rotavirus Disease in Utah Children: Clinical and Economic Impact of Rotavirus Vaccination

Angel Herrera Guerra  1 , Chris Stockmann  2 , Andrew T Pavia  2 , Adam L Hersh  2 , Emily A Thorell  2 , Hsin Yi Weng  2 , Kent Korgenski  2 , Carrie L Byington  2 , Krow Ampofo  2
Affiliations

Laboratory-Confirmed Rotavirus Disease in Utah Children: Clinical and Economic Impact of Rotavirus Vaccination

Angel Herrera Guerra et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2012 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Rotavirus is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in children worldwide. Recent studies have described changes in the burden of all-cause gastroenteritis; however, there are limited data on the clinical and economic impact of rotavirus vaccine on cases of laboratory-confirmed rotavirus disease.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of laboratory-confirmed rotavirus disease from July 2003 through June 2010 at a children's hospital and a community hospital in Utah. Demographics and hospital costs for children <5 years with rotavirus symptoms and a positive rotavirus enzyme immunoassay test on a stool specimen were abstracted from electronic medical records. We compared the prevaccine period (2003-2007) with the postvaccine period (2008-2010).

Results: The overall incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis declined in the postvaccine period, from 26.6 to 5.2 cases per 10 000 person-years for Salt Lake County residents. The largest decrease in the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis was among children <12 months (-87%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 79-93). Older children (12-23 months) also experienced significant decreases (-81%; 95% CI, 72-88), as did those 24-59 months (-61%; 95% CI, 51-71). In 2009, 3 years after rotavirus vaccine introduction, there was a 79% decrease in emergency department visits and a 78% decrease in hospitalizations across both hospitals. The cost of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for rotavirus gastroenteritis decreased by 79% and 72%, respectively, resulting in annual savings of $790 000 at a children's hospital and $140 000 at a community hospital.

Conclusion: Rotavirus vaccination in infants has dramatically decreased the clinical burden and direct medical costs of rotavirus gastroenteritis in both infants and young children.

Keywords: Acute Gastroenteritis; Hospital Costs; Immunization; Incidence; Pediatrics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Method for ascertaining emergency department visits and hospitalizations attributable to rotavirus gastroenteritis. Abbreviations: MCKD, McKay-Dee Hospital; PCMC, Primary Children's Medical Center.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Patterns of acute gastroenteritis testing, rotavirus testing, and positivity among children <5 years in Utah, 2003–2010. A, Primary Children's Medical Center; B, McKay-Dee Hospital.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Incidence of rotavirus hospitalizations among Salt Lake County resident children <5 years, by age group, 2003–2010.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Parashar UD, Bresee JS, Gentsch JR, Glass RI. Rotavirus. Emerg Infect Dis. 1998;4:561–570. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Parashar UD, Hummelman EG, Bresee JS, Miller MA, Glass RI. Global illness and deaths caused by rotavirus disease in children. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003;9:565–572. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Parashar UD, Gibson CJ, Bresse JS, Glass RI. Rotavirus and severe childhood diarrhea. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;12:304–306. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Charles MD, Holman RC, Curns AT, Parashar UD, Glass RI, Bresee JS. Hospitalizations associated with rotavirus gastroenteritis in the United States, 1993-2002. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2006;25:489–493. - PubMed
    1. Payne DC, Staat MA, Edwards KM, et al. Active, population-based surveillance for severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in the United States. Pediatrics. 2008;122:1235–1243. - PubMed