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. 2021 Dec 2;17(12):5646-5649.
doi: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1978796. Epub 2021 Nov 12.

Impact of rotavirus vaccine in reducing hospitalization rates in pediatric patients: a single center experience in Italy

Silvia Dettori  1 , Ilaria Cortesia  2 , Marcello Mariani  2 , Anna Opisso  3 , Alessio Mesini  4 , Carolina Saffioti  4 , Elio Castagnola  4
Affiliations

Impact of rotavirus vaccine in reducing hospitalization rates in pediatric patients: a single center experience in Italy

Silvia Dettori et al. Hum Vaccin Immunother. .

Abstract

Rotavirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age, with severe illness occurring in 30-40% of cases. In Italian region of Liguria, vaccination with a two-dose human attenuated vaccine was introduced in 2013. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of rotavirus vaccine on hospitalizations for rotavirus-related gastroenteritis (RVGE) at the IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini. Every hospitalization due to laboratory-confirmed RVGE and acute gastroenteritis of unknown origin (AGUO) in patients aged 0-14 years in the period 2008-2019 were anonymously extracted. Vaccine coverage were obtained from the regional vaccination registry. The results were divided in 2008-2012 (before RV vaccine) and 2013-2019 (after) periods. From 2008 to 2012, there was a continuous reduction of AGUO hospitalizations while RVGE increased. Since 2013, a reduction in hospitalization rate was observed for RVGE with a sharp decrease from 17.81 per 10.000 children in 2012 to 0.79 per 10,000 in 2019, parallel with the ascending values of RV vaccination coverage that increased from 36.3% in 2013 to 63.9% in 2019. A significant negative correlation was found between the proportions of vaccinated newborns and RVGE rates (p = .012). Intussusception-related hospitalization did not show substantial modifications. We confirm vaccination as a safe practice that has a significant impact in pediatric hospitalization rates.

Keywords: Italian immunization program; Rotavirus; acute gastroenteritis; intussusception; vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Impact of rotavirus vaccination in reducing rates of hospitalization *10.000 children of Genoa metropolitan area from 2008 to 2019.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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