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Impact of the Rotavirus Vaccination Program in Norway After Four Years With High Coverage
Tone Bruun1, Beatriz Valcarcel Salamanca2, Terese Bekkevold2
1From the Departments of Infection Control and Vaccines.
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|January 5, 2021
Summary
Rotavirus vaccination in Norway significantly reduced hospitalizations for acute gastroenteritis in young children. The monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1) demonstrated high effectiveness, leading to a 45% decrease in cases within four years.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Vaccinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotavirus vaccination has globally reduced disease burden since 2006.
- Norway introduced the monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1) in 2014 for infants.
- Limited European adoption of rotavirus vaccines necessitates impact assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the RV1 vaccine in Norway.
- To assess the impact of rotavirus vaccination on acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations.
- To analyze vaccine impact during the first four years post-introduction.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study using prospective surveillance of children <5 years hospitalized for gastroenteritis.
- Employed test-negative and community controls for vaccine effectiveness assessment.
- Time-series analysis of registry data (2009-2018) evaluated overall impact.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus vaccine effectiveness was high: 76% (test-negative) and 75% (community controls).
- Hospitalizations for acute gastroenteritis in children <5 years decreased by 45% post-vaccination.
- Reductions in hospitalizations were observed in both vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus vaccination in Norway achieved substantial reductions in hospitalizations for acute gastroenteritis.
- High vaccine effectiveness of RV1 was confirmed in a real-world setting.
- The national immunization program significantly impacted childhood gastroenteritis burden.
