Acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years of age after initiation of rotavirus immunization schedule
García-Puebla, A.; García-Fragoso, L.
Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico 104(1): 4-7
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-4849 PMID: 22788071 Document Number: 702296
Rotavirus is the most common viral etiology of acute gastroenteritis in children. Oral rotavirus vaccine administration to infants was incorporated in 2007. The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of acute rotavirus gastroenteritis (ARGE) after the initiation of the rotavirus immunization schedule. The study included children younger than 5 years of age admitted to San Jorge Children's Hospital from 2005-2008 with ARGE. There were 7,686 cases of acute gastroenteritis during the study period with 15% caused by Rotavirus. The peak season occurred from January through June. Rotavirus accounted for 22% of the acute gastroenteritis cases in the years pre-vaccination (2005-2006) and only 8.5 % in the post-vaccination years (2007-2008) (p < 0.01) with a 68% reduction in ARGE hospitalizations after vaccination. Our study supports the significant decline in ARGE after routine administration rotavirus vaccine in Puerto Rico.