CDC Vaccine Safety Study: Rotavirus Vaccine and Intussusception

CDC Vaccine Safety Study: Rotavirus Vaccine and Intussusception

CDC Vaccine Safety Study: Rotavirus Vaccine and Intussusception

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent this bulletin at 05/17/2013 11:44 AM EDT

CDC Vaccine Safety Study: Rotavirus Vaccine and Intussusception

In a study published in Pediatrics, CDC has released an analysis of vaccine adverse event reports after rotavirus vaccine provided to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) between 2006 and 2012.

Between 2006 and 2012, there were 47 million doses of RotaTeq distributed.  During this time, VAERS received 584 reports of confirmed intussusception following RotaTeq vaccination.  More reports of intussusception were observed during 3-6 days after the first dose of RotaTeq than at other times. This could mean a small increase in risk of intussusception, but because of the limitations of VAERS, researchers are not able to draw any firm conclusions from the reports.

Between 2006 and 2012, there were 6.1 million doses of Rotarix distributed.  During this time, VAERS received 8 reports of confirmed intussusception following Rotarix vaccination.  More reports of intussusception were observed in the first week after Rotarix administration than at other times. As with RotaTeq, because of the limitations of VAERS, researchers are not able to draw firm conclusions from the reports.

VAERS serves as an early warning system for possible adverse events following immunizations, but is not used for formal studies of vaccine risk. CDC encourages healthcare providers and others to report cases of adverse events following vaccination to VAERS.

To read the study: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/05/08/peds.2012-2554.abstract?papetoc

For more information on rotavirus vaccine safety research: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccines/RotaVSB.html.

For more information about rotavirus: http://www.cdc.gov/rotavirus/index.html.