Impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction and genotypic characteristics of rotavirus strains in children less than 5 years of age with gastroenteritis in Ethiopia: 2011–2016

 A monovalent rotavirus vaccine was introduced in the Ethiopian Expanded Program on Immunization from November 2013. We compared impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction on rotavirus associated acute diarrhea hospitalizations and genotypic characteristics of rotavirus strains pre-and post-vaccine introduction.

Sentinel surveillance for diarrhea among children <5 years of age was conducted at 3 hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 2011 to 2017. Stool specimens were collected from enrolled children and tested using an antigen capture enzyme immunoassay. Rotavirus positive samples (156 from pre- and 141 from post-vaccination periods) were further characterized by rotavirus genotyping methods to identify the predominant G and P types circulating during the surveillance era.

Following rotavirus vaccine introduction in Ethiopia, a reduction in rotavirus associated hospitalizations was seen in all age groups with the greatest burden in children <12 months of age. A wide variety of rotavirus strains circulated in the pre- and post-vaccine introduction periods.