Author(s)

Tomohiro Oishi^1*, Shinya Tsukano², Tokushi Nakano³, Shoji Sudo⁴, Hiroaki Kuwajima⁵

¹Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata City, Niigata, Japan.
²Pediatric Department, Niigata Prefectural Shibata Hospital, Shibata City, Niigata, Japan.
³Nakano Children’s Clinic, Shibata City, Niigata, Japan.
⁴Sudo Pediatric Clinic, Shibata City, Niigata, Japan.
⁵Pediatric Department, Kuwajima Clinic, Shibata City, Niigata, Japan.

The impact of rotavirus (RV) vaccination in reducing severe rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in outpatient settings was prospectively surveyed in three pediatric clinics in Shibata City. In children younger than 3 years of age, the occurrence of severe RVGE among all acute gastroenteritis (AGE) was found to be significantly lower in three seasons after introduction of RV vaccines, compared to that in 2011, before introduction of RV vaccines. The incidence rates of severe RVGE among children younger than 3 years of age were found to be reduced by 71.2%, 47.7%, and 81.1% for 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively, compared to that in 2011. These results suggest that the RV vaccination is effective for the prevention of severe RVGE in Japanese voluntary RV vaccination settings with estimated coverage rates of 32.5%, 40.5% and 47.1% for 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. It is expected that the reducing effect on severe RVGE would be persistently established by increasing the vaccine coverage rates.

Impact of Vaccination, Rotavirus Gastroenteritis, Rotavirus Vaccine, Prospective Observation, Outpatient Settings

Oishi, T. , Tsukano, S. , Nakano, T. , Sudo, S. and Kuwajima, H. (2014) Impact of Rotavirus Vaccination in Severe Rotavirus Gastroenteritis Outpatient Visits at Three Pediatric Primary Care Clinics in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Open Journal of Pediatrics, 4, 291-299. doi: 10.4236/ojped.2014.44040.