Rotavirus vaccine safe for NICU use, study finds

December 11, 2024

Study design: This prospective cohort study evaluated the incidence and clinical significance of vaccine-strain rotavirus transmission in a 100-bed NICU that routinely administers the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5). Over one year, stool specimens from 1,238 infants were collected weekly and tested for RV5 strains using real-time quantitative RT-PCR.

Results: Out of 3,448 stool samples (including 2,252 from 686 unvaccinated patients), only 5 (<1%) from unvaccinated infants tested positive for RV5 strain, resulting in an estimated transmission rate of 2.2 per 1,000 patient-days at risk. Importantly, no gastroenteritis symptoms were observed in transmission cases within 7 days of collection of RV5-positive stool.

Impact on clinical practice: The transmission of vaccine-strain rotavirus in the NICU was rare and clinically insignificant. These findings support the routine administration of RV5 in NICUs, ensuring that infants receive timely protection against rotavirus without significant risk of transmission

Source:

Zalot MA, et al. (2024, December 9). Pediatrics. Risk of Transmission of Vaccine-Strain Rotavirus in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit That Routinely Vaccinates. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39652114/