Lower Incidence Rate of Type 1 Diabetes after Receipt of the Rotavirus Vaccine in the United States, 2001-2017

Sci Rep. 2019 Jun 13;9(1):7727. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44193-4.

Abstract

We evaluated whether rotavirus vaccination is associated with the incidence of type 1 diabetes among children. We designed a cohort study of 1,474,535 infants in the United States from 2001-2017, using data from a nationwide health insurer. There was a 33% reduction in the risk of type 1 diabetes with completion of the rotavirus vaccine series compared to the unvaccinated (95% CI: 17%, 46%). Completion of the pentavalent vaccine series was associated with 37% lower risk of type 1 diabetes (95% CI: 22%, 50%). Partial vaccination (incompletion of the series) was not associated with the incidence of type 1 diabetes. There was a 31% reduction in hospitalizations in the 60-day period after vaccination (95% CI: 27%, 35%) compared to unvaccinated children. Overall, there was a 3.4% decrease in incidence annually in children ages 0-4 in the United States from 2006-2017 which coincides with the vaccine introduction in 2006. We conclude that rotavirus vaccination is associated with a reduced incidence of type 1 diabetes. Rotavirus vaccination may be the first practical measure that could play a role in the prevention of this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / epidemiology*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / immunology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / prevention & control*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Risk
  • Rotavirus / immunology
  • Rotavirus / pathogenicity
  • Rotavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Rotavirus Infections / immunology
  • Rotavirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Rotavirus Vaccines / immunology
  • Rotavirus Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Rotavirus Vaccines