Reduction in hospitalizations for diarrhea and rotavirus infections in New York state following introduction of rotavirus vaccine.
OBJECTIVE
To monitor trends and costs of diarrhea and rotavirus-associated hospitalizations in New York before and after rotavirus vaccine implementation in 2006. To examine rotavirus test results from sentinel hospital-associated laboratories.


METHODS
Hospital discharge data and laboratory rotavirus testing data were analyzed for children 1 month up to 18 years of age for 10 sentinel and all statewide hospitals from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2008.


RESULTS
Among children 1-23 months of age, a 40% reduction in diarrhea-associated hospitalizations and 85% decrease in rotavirus-coded hospitalizations at the 10 sentinel hospitals was observed in 2008 compared with the average of pre-vaccine seasons from 2003 through 2006. For both sentinel and statewide hospitals, the percent of diarrhea admissions due to rotavirus was reduced at least 83% among children 1-23 months (vaccine eligible) and 70% for older unimmunized children. Statewide hospital costs for rotavirus hospitalizations in children <2 years of age were reduced $10 million. Sentinel hospital laboratory data validated the declining trends seen in hospitalizations.


CONCLUSIONS
In 2008, New York hospital data showed significant reductions in rotavirus hospitalizations and costs among children aged 1-23 months who were eligible for vaccine. Reductions also occurred among unimmunized older children suggesting the importance of continue monitoring in future seasons to fully assess vaccine impact.
Chang
Hwa-Gan H
HG
New York state Department of Health, Division of Epidemiology, Albany, NY 12237, USA. hgc04@health.state.ny.us
Smith
Perry F
PF
Tserenpuntsag
Bold
B
Markey
Katherine
K
Parashar
Umesh
U
Morse
Dale L
DL
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines