Rotavirus Vaccination is Cost Effective and Saves Lives, New Analysis Finds

In an analysis published in the December issue of The Lancet Global Health, investigators from PATH, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, analyzed the potential costs of rotavirus vaccination for 10 successive birth cohorts (from 2018 through 2027) in 73 countries eligible for Gavi support, compared with no vaccination.  The analysis found that over the 10-year study period, rotavirus vaccination would prevent nearly 600,000 deaths in Gavi-eligible countries. Governments in these countries would save nearly $500 million through the elimination of some of the more than 80 million outpatient health care provider visits and nearly 8 million hospitalizations that would be required to treat those sickened by rotaviruses.