Not only would the rotavirus vaccine reduce hospitalizations for this infection, but it would also be associated with a decrease in type 1 diabetes.
While pro-vaccines and anti-vaccines continue to clash around the globe, scientists are linking studies to try to prove their added value. Recently, Australian researchers observed an astonishing link between vaccine against rotavirus, the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants or young children worldwide, and a reduction in type 1 diabetes, which causes nerve damage, heart disease or even kidney problems. Today, a larger American study, published in the journal Scientific Reportsconfirms this link and further validates the effectiveness of this vaccine against rotavirus itself.
1.47 million American children
Dr. Mary Rogers of the University of Michigan studied the medical records of 1.47 million American children born since 2001. Among them, more than half had been vaccinated with one or two of the existing rotavirus vaccines . Result: children who had been through the vaccination process had a 41% lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes during the study period. Those who had been partially vaccinated, on the other hand, had a rate more or less identical to those who had not been vaccinated at all.
Since most of the children immunized against rotavrius had received other vaccines during the same period, Rogers also compared their data with that of slightly older children who had received the other vaccines before those against rotavirus were available. Conclusion: The effect against type 1 diabetes was greater in children born between 2012 and 2016 than those born before 2011.
94% fewer rotavirus hospitalizations in vaccinated children
And of course, the researchers also looked at the effects of the rotavirus vaccine itself. The results are clear: during the study, the hospitalization rate for this infection was 94% lower in vaccinated children. The latter were also 31% less likely to be hospitalized, for any reason, in the 60 days after ingesting the oral vaccine.
If diabetes and rotavirus have nothing to do at first sight, the virus can affect the pancreas, which damages the beta cells, recalls the study. However, pancreatic beta cells produce insulin which helps regulate the level of sugar in the body.
However, “our study has its limits” concede the researchers. “We cannot discern whether the rotavirus vaccine is associated with a long-term lifetime risk of developing type 1 diabetes or whether it only slows its onset.” “It’s a rare condition, so it takes a lot of data to see a trend appear in the population,” admits Rogers, adding, “it will take more time and analysis to confirm these results.” And to conclude by calling on governments to strengthen existing recommendations for vaccinating children against rotavirus.
Young children can die from dehydration
In France, the High Council for Public Health (HSCP) encourages parents in this direction. Last April, a 6-month-old baby died of gastroenteritis. Although the risk of dying from this disease is very rare (the Inserm Center for Epidemiology on Medical Causes of Death (CépiDC) counts around 600 deaths each year with an intestinal infection as the initial cause of death), young children can die of dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. Every year, 45 to 80 children under the age of 5 die from acute gastroenteritis in France.
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