A Comparison of Anti-Rotavirus Vaccines Monitoring of the Vaccination Activities Over the Period 2020-2022 in the Local Health Authority of Viterbo
Authors: Dari Silvia 
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Rotavirus is an RNA virus that belongs to the family Reoviridae and is highly infectious. In addition to being one of the leading causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, it contributes most to mortality and morbidity in children under 5 years of age. The virus is mainly transmitted via the fecal-oral-route but it could also be spread by contact, from person to person or through contaminated objects, surfaces or food. Airborne transmission is also possible, although it is much less effective. Several studies have indicated that natural immunity acquired from infection offers both a certain degree of protection from future symptomatic infections and that repeated exposures expand a heterotypic immune response to different viral strains. This has been the essential premise upon which live-attenuated oral vaccines against Rotavirus have been developed over the past 30 years. In all countries – whether they are industrialized or developing – where vaccines against the virus have been introduced, a real impact on public health has been consistently observed, with significant reductions in mortality and hospitalizations due to Rotavirus diarrhea in children under 5 years of age. Two anti-Rotavirus vaccines, Rotarix Human Rotavirus Vaccine (GSK) and RotaTeq Human-Bovin Reassortant Vaccine (Merck & Co.), have been approved for clinical use in Europe and showed good efficacy and a favorable security profile in preventing Rotavirus disease. Aim of the Study: The study aims to illustrate the Rotavirus vaccinations given at the vaccination centers located in the Local Health Authority of Viterbo during the three-year period 2020-2022. A comparison was conducted between the vaccination coverage reached with Rotarix and RotaTeq vaccines in newborns in 2020 and in 2021 residing in the province of Viterbo. Furthermore, adhesions to Rotavirus vaccination were detected. Material and Methods: The scenario was defined through extrapolation of data recorded in the company software Antares. The following data were considered: • Births in the year 2020 in the province of Viterbo • Births in the year 2021 in the province of Viterbo • Rotarix vaccines given in the three-year period 2020-2022 • RotaTeq vaccines given in the three-year period 2020-2022• Anti-Rotavirus vaccination coverage among newborns in 2020 • Anti-Rotavirus vaccination coverage among newborns in 2021 • Percentage of newborns in 2020 who did not complete the anti-Rotavirus vaccination course • Percentage of newborns in 2021 who did not complete the anti-rotavirus vaccination course Results: From January 1st, 2020 to November 30, 2022, 9318 anti-Rotavirus vaccinations were given in the vaccination centers located in the Local Health Authority of Viterbo. Among these, 3124 patients received Rotarix, while 6194 received RotaTeq vaccine. Over the period analyzed, the 2021 birth cohort appears to be the most vaccinated, with 455 Rotarix and 3193 RotaTeq vaccinations, with a total number of 3648 vaccinations. A person can be defined as vaccinated against Rotavirus only when he/she finishes the complete vaccination course, consisting of 2 doses in the case of the Rotarix vaccine, and 3 doses in the case of the RotaTeq vaccine. For this reason, the total vaccination coverage reached among newborns in 2020 (1764 births) was 64%, in which Rotarix vaccine contributed 45%, and RotaTeq the remaining 19%. As regards the cohort of newborns in 2021 (1820 births), the total vaccination coverage reached was 66%, of which 12% with Rotarix vaccine, and 54% with RotaTeq. Discussion and Conclusions: From the data obtained, a positive upward trend in the vaccinations against Rotavirus dispensed year by year is immediately brought to light. This is due to the success of an effective information campaign toward vaccination in general and specifically toward anti-rotavirus prophylaxis. All this gives hope that more and more persons will be vaccinated against the virus in the future. Globally, we can say that in recent years also the vaccination coverage is increasing. Particularly, an encouraging fact is a decrease in hospitalizations from Rotavirus gastroenteritis, which was made possible also thanks to the indirect immunity fostered by an increase in the vaccinations given.