title: Effectiveness of 2 rotavirus vaccines against rotavirus disease in Taiwanese infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two rotavirus (RV) vaccines (Rotarix and RotaTeq) are available on the private market in Taiwan, but are not recommended for routine use. We examined RV vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe RV acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among Taiwanese infants to inform policymakers on the potential benefits of national RV vaccine introduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  From May 2009 to April 2011, a case-control assessment of VE against severe RV AGE was conducted at 3 hospital-based surveillance sites in Taiwan. Case-patients included children aged 8-35 months, hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed RV AGE. Controls included children age-matched within 1 month of age of the case-patient, hospitalized with RV-negative AGE or seen for non-AGE illnesses at the same hospitals. Vaccination history was confirmed through vaccination card or hospital record review. VE was calculated as (1--odds ratio of vaccination) × 100%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 184 case-patients with RV AGE, 904 RV-negative AGE and 909 non-AGE controls. Two-dose Rotarix series VE against RV gastroenteritis hospitalization was 90.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 70.3%, 98.1%) and 92.5% (95% CI: 77.1%, 98.5%) with RV-negative AGE and non-AGE controls, respectively. Three-dose RotaTeq series VE was 96.8% (95% CI: 82.3%, 100%) and 97.1% (95% CI: 84%, 100%) with RV-negative AGE and non-AGE controls, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both vaccines provided excellent protection against severe RV AGE hospitalization. Addition of RV vaccination into Taiwan's National Immunization Program could substantially decrease AGE hospitalizations among children <3 years. Our findings should help inform policymakers in Taiwan and other similar Asian countries when deciding whether to include RV vaccination into their national immunization programs.
authors.affiliation: From the *Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan; †Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA; ‡Department of Health, Research and Diagnostic Center, Centers for Disease Control, Taipei; §Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan; ¶Department of Laboratory Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua; ‖Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung; and **School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Chi
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Fang-Tzy
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yhu-Chering
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jen-Shiou
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Fu-Chen
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hui-Tzu
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Cheng-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Han-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jacqueline E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: Umesh D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Parashar
authors.forename: Ho-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chao A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hsiung
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C492457:RIX4414 vaccine; C492535:RotaTeq; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated