Evaluation of the rotavirus vaccine introduced into infant population in the semiarid region of the state of Paraíba, Brazil (2006 - 2013) / Avaliação da vacina para rotavírus introduzida na população infantil do semiárido paraibano (2006 - 2013)

Abstract

Acute gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus represents a clinical episode of great relevance to Brazilian public health due to its expressive mortality rate in children under five years of age. In Brazil, Rotarix® from GlaxoSmithKline, a live attenuated vaccine, has been used in children since 2006. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of vaccination in the semiarid region of Paraíba, a Brazilian state, through the notification of diarrhea cases, clinical data of the disease in the period from 2005 to 2013, and the detection of viral antigens in the feces of hospitalized children in the years 2012 and 2013. There was no significant reduction in the number of cases of diarrhea with the implementation of vaccination in the period studied, with an epidemic of diarrhea in 2013, when the number of cases increased 4 times compared to the previous period