The Journal of infectious diseases
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Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in children worldwide. We evaluated the economic burden of rotavirus and the cost-effectiveness of vaccination from the health care perspective. ⋯ Vaccination is a cost-effective strategy to reduce the health and economic burden of rotavirus. The cost-effectiveness of vaccination depends mostly on vaccine price and reaching children at highest risk of mortality.
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Review
Global rotavirus surveillance: determining the need and measuring the impact of rotavirus vaccines.
Rotavirus remains the most common cause of severe childhood diarrhea worldwide and of diarrheal mortality in poor countries. In 2003, the GAVI Alliance launched the Rotavirus Vaccine Program and the Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan to close the gap of access to rotavirus vaccines in industrialized and developing countries by generating data on rotavirus disease burden, projected impact, and cost-effectiveness of vaccination and by conducting clinical trials of existing vaccines in impoverished settings. By the end of 2008, rotavirus vaccines were licensed in >100 countries, although only 17 countries have introduced routine rotavirus vaccination. ⋯ Rotavirus vaccines are a cost-effective intervention and may be cost saving with a GAVI Alliance subsidy from the health care perspective. Punctual vaccination and high coverage of populations at highest risk of mortality will maximize the impact of vaccination. Surveillance platforms will allow measurement of the rapid impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction on the heavy burden of rotavirus on child health worldwide.