Rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalisations following introduction of vaccination, Canberra

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of rotavirus vaccination on rotavirus hospitalisations in children under 5 years of age at The Canberra Hospital, Australian Capital Territory.

METHODS: Rotavirus hospitalisations in children under 5 years of age at the Canberra Hospital were identified through a retrospective clinical audit of electronic medical hospitalisations in the pre-vaccine (2004-2006) and post-vaccine (2008-2012) periods. Records and confirmation with rotavirus pathology results were compared using MS Excel and Stata.

RESULTS: Laboratory confirmed rotavirus infections resulted in 289 children being admitted to the Canberra Hospital between January 2004 and December 2012. Hospitalisation for rotavirus gastroenteritis decreased by 76% in the 5 years following vaccine introduction compared with pre-vaccine periods. Seasonal patterns of hospitalisation were prominent in pre-vaccine periods but were attenuated post-vaccine. The greatest decreases in hospitalisation between pre- and post-vaccine periods were observed in the 12-23 (80%) and 24-35 (88%) month age categories. Decreases in hospitalisation were reported for patients unlikely to have received vaccine cover at that time, indicating an indirect protective effect of rotavirus vaccine.

CONCLUSIONS: This study reports significant reductions in rotavirus hospitalisation of children under 5 years of age at The Canberra Hospital following vaccine introduction, mid-2007. These findings support rotavirus vaccination as an effective measure to reduce hospitalisation in children under 5 years of age.