Impact of rotavirus vaccination on hospital-acquired rotavirus gastroenteritis in children.
OBJECTIVE
Data show that after the implementation of routine rotavirus vaccination for infants in the United States, community-acquired (CA) rotavirus cases declined substantially in the 2007-2008 season. The impact of community-based rotavirus vaccination on the substantial burden of hospital-acquired (HA) rotavirus has not been documented.


METHODS
We assessed CA and HA rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza infections at Children's Memorial Hospital for 5 winter seasons (defined as occurring from September through May) from 2003 to 2008. We also report rotavirus data from the 2008-2009 season.


RESULTS
A similar dramatic decline (>60% compared with the median of previous seasons) occurred in the rates of cases of both CA (P < .0001) rotavirus hospitalizations and HA (P < .01) rotavirus infections in the 2007-2008 season compared with previous seasons, whereas the rates of CA and HA influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, respectively, remained stable. Improvements in hand-hygiene compliance did not correlate with a reduction in the transmission rate of rotavirus in the hospital. Both CA and HA rotavirus rates remained much lower in the 2008-2009 than in the 2003-2007 seasons.


CONCLUSIONS
Community-based rotavirus vaccination is associated with a substantial reduction in the number of children who are admitted with rotavirus. These data also indicate that routine community-based rotavirus infant vaccination protects hospitalized children from acquiring rotavirus. Vaccination efforts should be encouraged as a strategy to affect the substantial burden of HA rotavirus.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. e-anderson3@northwestern.edu
Evan J
EJ
Anderson
Angela
A
Rupp
Stanford T
ST
Shulman
Deli
D
Wang
Xiaotian
X
Zheng
Gary A
GA
Noskin
D002648:Child; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines