Rotavirus vaccination ‘linked with drop in GP visits for gastroenteritis’

A new study has highlighted the drop in GP visitor numbers and healthcare costs associated with the introduction of rotavirus vaccination.

Carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with Public Health England, the research aimed to quantify the impact of the UK-wide rotavirus vaccination programme, which was introduced in 2013.

Providing oral vaccine drops in two doses to babies aged between two and three months old was associated with a drop in rates of acute gastroenteritis in young children visiting GP surgeries by 15 percent overall and 41 percent in the months where rotavirus circulation was historically high.

It was estimated that 87,376 visits by children under five were averted in the first year of the vaccination programme, leading to a 12.5 million pound reduction in healthcare costs by eliminating preventable visits to GPs, hospitals and emergency departments.

Lead author Dr Sara Thomas from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said: "This study helps to give a more complete picture of the impact of rotavirus vaccination, and shows the rapid reduction in the burden of acute gastroenteritis seen in GP surgeries."

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