Widespread Vaccination Fights Serious Stomach Infection in Kids: CDC | WPN World People News

The widespread use of a vaccine against a germ that causes gastrointestinal infections in infants and young children has been a resounding success in the United States, a new study suggests.

The researchers team reports a big drop in the number of young children hospitalized with gastroenteritis since routine immunization against rotavirus was launched in 2006.

"Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe acute gastroenteritis -- vomiting and severe diarrhea -- among children across the world," said expert.

But two vaccines -- Rotateq and Rotatrix -- can prevent up to 87 percent of all rotavirus illnesses occurring during a baby's first year, said expert.

In the new research, research team tracked data from 26 states. They found a steep decline between 2008 and 2012 for hospitalizations for gastroenteritis among children younger than 5 years of age.

Before rotavirus vaccination was implemented, 76 out of every 10,000 children under 5 was hospitalized for gastroenteritis from any cause, the researchers noted. However, after widespread vaccination began, that rate declined by 31 percent in 2008, by 33 percent in 2009, by 48 percent in 2010, and by 55 percent in 2012.

There were similar rate declines among girls and boys, across all racial/ethnic groups, and in all age groups, the CDC team said.

The largest decreases occurred among children ages 6 months to 23 months, according to the study.

Before rotavirus vaccination began, the rate of hospitalization gastroenteritis directly linked to rotavirus among children younger than 5 years was 16 cases per 10,000 children. However, after vaccination began, rates fell by 70 percent in 2008, 63 percent in 2009, 90 percent in 2010 and 94 percent in 2012.

The expert say that individual babies are protected by the vaccine, of course, but "herd immunity" is probably playing a big role as well. Herd immunity occurs when a child's chance of coming into contact with a germ drops because so many other people are also immune to the bug, and are therefore not passing it on.

"The vaccine has truly been amazing if you look at the numbers," said expert.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services