Effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines in preventing cases and hospitalizations due to rotavirus gastroenteritis in Navarre, Spain

• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.11.071
• Publication Date: 2011-12-02T21:27:33Z
• Authors: Jesús Castilla; Xabier Beristain; Víctor Martínez-A...; Ana Navascués; Manuel García Cenoz; Nerea Álvarez; Isabel Polo; Ana Mazón; Alberto Gil-Setas; Aurelio Barricarte
• Keywords: Rotavirus gastroenteritis; Rotavirus vaccine; Rotavirus Infections; Acute gastroenteritis

Two rotavirus vaccines have been available since 2006. This study evaluates the effectiveness of these vaccines using a test-negative case-control design in Navarre, Spain. We included children 3-59 months of age who sought medical care for gastroenteritis and for whom stool samples were taken between January 2008 and June 2011. About 9% had received the pentavalent vaccine (RotaTeq) and another 8% received the monovalent vaccine (Rotarix). Cases were the 756 children with confirmed rotavirus and controls were the 6036 children who tested negative for rotavirus. Thirty-five percent of cases and 9% of controls had required hospitalization (p<0.0001). The adjusted effectiveness of complete vaccination was 78% (95% CI: 68-85%) in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis and 83% (95% CI: 65-93%) in preventing hospitalization for rotavirus gastroenteritis. No differences between the two vaccines were detected (p=0.4523). Both vaccines were highly effective in preventing cases and hospital admissions in children due to rotavirus gastroenteritis.