Rotavirus is mainly responsible for diarrhea in infants and young children. The vaccine, which contains a weakened form of the virus that produces a stronger immune response, is administered through drops.
Preterm infants, usually kept in NICUs, are at higher risk of the highly contagious but preventable virus, yet few get vaccinated for fear of transmission, researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the US said.
To understand, the team analyzed 3,448 weekly stool samples from 774 patients between January 2021 and January 2022.
They found that “99.3 percent of unvaccinated patients who came in contact with vaccinated patients did not test positive for the disease. "Unvaccinated patients infected with rotavirus had no symptoms after 14 days."
"Our year-long prospective study, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that vaccination against rotavirus is effective in reducing the risk of death in NICU patients," said study lead neonatologist Kathleen Gibbs, MD, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The benefits far outweigh the risks.” ,
"In-patient vaccination provides protection to vulnerable populations against a common, preventable cause of severe diarrheal disease," he said.
The findings are important because many NICUs avoid revaccinating for rotavirus due to the theoretical risk of transmission, yet few infants are old enough to be vaccinated after discharge from the NICU.
According to CDC guidelines, the first dose should be given before 1 week of age.
The findings of the study will be presented at the ongoing Pediatric Academic Society (PAS) 2024 meeting in Toronto, Canada.
Preterm infants, usually kept in NICUs, are at higher risk of the highly contagious but preventable virus, yet few get vaccinated for fear of transmission, researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the US said.
To understand, the team analyzed 3,448 weekly stool samples from 774 patients between January 2021 and January 2022.
They found that “99.3 percent of unvaccinated patients who came in contact with vaccinated patients did not test positive for the disease. "Unvaccinated patients infected with rotavirus had no symptoms after 14 days."
"Our year-long prospective study, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that vaccination against rotavirus is effective in reducing the risk of death in NICU patients," said study lead neonatologist Kathleen Gibbs, MD, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The benefits far outweigh the risks.” ,
"In-patient vaccination provides protection to vulnerable populations against a common, preventable cause of severe diarrheal disease," he said.
The findings are important because many NICUs avoid revaccinating for rotavirus due to the theoretical risk of transmission, yet few infants are old enough to be vaccinated after discharge from the NICU.
According to CDC guidelines, the first dose should be given before 1 week of age.
The findings of the study will be presented at the ongoing Pediatric Academic Society (PAS) 2024 meeting in Toronto, Canada.
