Routine rotavirus vaccine has significantly lowered the number of diarrhea-related hospitalization cases among young children in the United States, reported a study. The study researchers mentioned that this has resulted in saving more than 1 billion USD in medical costs. In the United States, a major cause for diarrhea in young children and infants is rotavirus.
The research analyzed data from the community and academic hospitals in 26 states and compared the rate of hospitalization of children, due to diarrhea, below the age of 5 prior to and after the routine vaccination for rotavirus was introduced in 2006.
It was noted that the hospitalization rate significantly reduced to 31-55% between the period, 2008-2013. During this period, approximately 380,000 cases of diarrhea-related hospitalization was prevented that resulted in saving nearly 1.2 billion USD in direct medical costs.
According to the researchers, the scope of reducing the total cost was even more with inclusions like lesser pediatrician’s visits and visits to emergency room.
The research was published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society on 10th August 2017.
Dr. Eyal Leshem, a study author, said, “Our findings confirm the sustained impact and effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine program”. He further added, “Increasing vaccine coverage likely resulted in the larger declines of rotavirus hospitalizations observed in the later years studied.”
According to the reports, in the year 2015, about 73% of the total U.S. children with age 19 months to 35 months were given rotavirus vaccines. The study also indicated that, the rate is found to be lower than the rate of children, belonging to this age group, who received vaccinations for other conditions like diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis.