INFLUENCE OF HUMAN ROTAVIRUS VACCINE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR GASTROENTERITIS IN CHILDREN IN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT Objectives: to describe and analyze the influence of human rotavirus vaccine on hospitalizations for gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age, in Brazil, 2001 to 2018 (pre- and post-vaccination period). Method: this is a retrospective, descriptive ecological study, combining the description of a time series from 2001 to 2018 and collected in the months August 2019 to Janaury 2020. The data were obtained from a secondary source. To analyze the effect of different variables, multiple models of mathematical evaluations were used (accumulated growth rate, geometric growth rate; standard deviation, mean, variance and simple linear regression). The level of significance was set at 5% (p <0.05). Results: there was a reduction in hospitalizations related to gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old, when comparing the pre- and post-vaccination periods. This reduction occurred in all Brazilian regions. Conclusion: after the implementation of human rotavirus vaccine, there was a significant reduction in hospitalizations of children under 5 years.