Burden of rotavirus disease in young children in Iceland - Time to vaccinate?

• Published in: Vaccine
• Main Authors: Kristinsdottir, Iris, Haraldsson, Asgeir, Löve, Arthur, Asgeirsdottir, Tinna Laufey, Thors, Valtyr
• Other Authors: 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Children's Hospital Iceland, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Division of Virology, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. 3Faculty of Economics, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. 4Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Children's Hospital Iceland, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. Electronic address: [e-mail].
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021
• Subjects: Cost-effectiveness; Gastroenteritis; Rotavirus; Vaccination; Börn; Bólusetningar; Iðrakvef; Rotavirus Infections; Child; Preschool; Reykjavík; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/621931; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.07.053

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink below Background: Acute gastroenteritis poses a significant burden on young children, families, health care facilities and societies. Rotavirus is the most common pathogen, but rotavirus infections are vaccine preventable. Information on the epidemiology of gastroenteritis in Icelandic children has until now not been available and rotavirus vaccination is currently not offered to Icelandic infants. The objective of this study was to assess the burden of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis in young children in Iceland and determine the potential benefit of adding rotavirus vaccine to the Icelandic childhood immunization schedule. Methods: For a two-year period, children < 6 years old attending a children's emergency department for acute gastroenteritis were recruited at the Children's Hospital in Reykjavík, Iceland. Demographic information and Vesikari scores were registered. Stool samples were analyzed for pathogens. Duration of symptoms, treatment given, and secondary household infections were among the collected information. Annual cost of the infections in young children was estimated based on health care expenditures and lost days of parental work. Results: 325 children were included in the study, 75% of which were ≤ 24 months old. A pathogen was identified in 80% of cases, of which rotavirus was identified in 54%. Rotavirus caused a more severe disease than other pathogens, more often leading to fluid treatment in the emergency department and admissions. Median duration of rotavirus-illness was six days and caused a median of four days lost from work by parents. The estimated annual cost of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis was €2.9 million. Conclusions: Rotavirus causes significant disease burden in young children. Although rarely life-threatening in high income countries, the costs for society are substantial. The inclusion of rotavirus vaccine in the national immunization schedule will reduce the disease burden and would be ...