Authors: Way Seah Lee, Benjamin Tze Ying Lim, Pei Fan Chai, Carl D. Kirkwood and Jimmy Kok Foo Lee

Way Seah Lee

Corresponding author: leews@um.edu.my
Department of Paediatrics; University of Malaya Medical Centre; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Malaya Paediatric and Child Health Research Group; University Malaya; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

Benjamin Tze Ying Lim

Department of Paediatrics; University of Malaya Medical Centre; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pei Fan Chai

Department of Paediatrics; University of Malaya Medical Centre; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Carl D. Kirkwood

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Parkville, VIC Australia

Jimmy Kok Foo Lee

Paediatric Unit; Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital; Kuala Trengganu, Malaysia

Abstract:
Group A rotavirus (RV-A) genotypes isolated in Malaysia was studied to estimate the effectiveness of a universal RV-A vaccination in Malaysia. A simple mathematical model was used, with input from a two-year, two-center, prospective study on hospitalization of RV-A gastroenteritis (RVGE) in young children, published data on RV-A hospitalizations and genotypes, mortality on childhood GE and published genotype-specific efficacy data on two RV-A vaccines. Assuming a 95% vaccine coverage, the overall projected effectiveness was 75.7 to 88.1% for Rotateq® and 78.7 to 90.6% for Rotarix® against RVGE-related hospitalizations. The projected annual reduction in RVGE-related deaths was 27 to 32 deaths (from 34 deaths) for Rotateq® and 28 to 32 deaths annually forRotarix®. A universal RV-A vaccine is efficacious in reducing RVGE-related hospitalizations and mortality in Malaysia.

Received: May 4, 2012; Accepted: July 23, 2012; Published Online: September 28, 2012

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