Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

BACKGROUND: Efficacy of rotavirus (RV) vaccination is difficult to assess outside of controlled clinical trials. In countries with low-to-moderate RV vaccination coverage, annual variation in RV outbreak might have a stronger influence on morbidity than RV vaccination. METHODS: We analyzed German RV surveillance data from 2006 to 2010 in the 16 federal states of Germany. To overcome the bias of annual variation of RV infections, we analyzed the effects of RV vaccination in Germany by comparing vaccination rate with morbidity as indicated by notification data. RESULTS: RV vaccination coverage in 0- to 1-year-old children in Germany increased from 3% in 2007 to 26% in 2010. The vaccination coverage varied highly between different federal states of Germany (2007, 1%-14%; 2008, 4%-35%, 2009, 8%-52%; and 2010, 17%-64%). There was a significant correlation between RV vaccination coverage and reduction in morbidity (r = -0.66, P = 0.0054) in 0- to <2-year-old children. The proportion of children vaccinated by one of the 2 vaccines, Rotarix and RotaTeq, was similar. Although we found a temporal delay of the epidemic RV seasons 2008 to 2010, those changes remained within the naturally occurring range. CONCLUSIONS: The overall RV vaccination coverage in Germany is still low as compared with other countries with vaccination-supporting policies. Initial data suggest an efficacy of the vaccination.

Original publication

DOI

10.1097/INF.0b013e31822d1408

Type

Journal article

Journal

Pediatr Infect Dis J

Publication Date

12/2011

Volume

30

Pages

e244 - e247

Keywords

Disease Notification, Gastroenteritis, Germany, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Retrospective Studies, Rotavirus Infections, Rotavirus Vaccines, Seasons, Vaccination