otavirus Vaccine Has Proven Success

Many children and even those around them are being rewarded from the oral Rotateq vaccine offered by Merck & Co. The vaccine seems to have had great success preventing many cases of the rotavirus, the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea in children, since the vaccine's release to the market in 2006.
A report by Quest Diagnostics Health Trends shows the vaccine has reduced the number of cases of the rotavirus significantly though the results vary widely across states. The study found that not only are children who receive the vaccine benefiting, but the vaccine has seemed to reduce cases in children not vaccinated as well, suggesting herd immunity. According to Dr. Jay Lieberman, M.D., medical director of infectious diseases with Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, "Herd immunity is a significant favorable outcome of a successful vaccination program because it means that even unvaccinated individuals may be benefiting from widespread use of a vaccine," and he said, "Our analysis provides evidence for the first time that unvaccinated children may also be reaping the benefits of the rotavirus vaccine. Herd immunity is particularly valuable to newborns and other young infants who have not yet started or completed their vaccine series."
The recently released study is the largest to evaluate the affects of the rotavirus vaccine since its release. The vaccine has been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, though it isn’t a required vaccine as of yet. Currently it is left up to a patient’s doctor, whether the rotavirus vaccine should be added to a child’s vaccination schedule. Therefore, researchers say the U.S. hasn’t reached 100 percent coverage. The vaccine is recommended for children at two, four and six months of age.
Researchers for Quest Diagnostics Health Trends considered 132,000 patient’s records found in their database, of data gathered from September 2003 through June 2008. The study found, during the peak season of December 2007 through June 2006, positive cases of the rotavirus showed a 76 percent decline. Also, during this period they recognized the number of positive tests compared to negative tests declined by 70 percent. Dr. Lieberman said "Our analysis suggests that the oral rotavirus vaccine has been highly effective at reducing the incidence of rotavirus. Our findings reinforce those from a preliminary report issued by the CDC earlier this year. Considering the toll this disease has traditionally taken on children and their families each year in the U.S., this is exciting and welcome news for physicians and parents."
Half a million deaths of children under five around the world annually are contributed to the rotavirus, and the deaths are found mainly in developing countries. Approximately 410,000 physician visits in the U.S. are attributed to the virus annually, but fortunately we only see an average of 20 to 60 deaths. However, it would be great to see the number of deaths from the rotavirus drop to zero, especially since it seems to be a preventable virus. The virus is characterized by severe acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children, which often causes high fevers, vomiting and diarrhea. Dr. Lieberman pointed out that "Our report also may have important implications for public health efforts in developing parts of the world, where rotavirus tragically is a frequent cause of childhood death," which would hopefully help the efforts being taken to fight the virus in less fortunate areas around the world.