The decreased rates of childhood gastroenteritis-related deaths in Brazil following rotavirus vaccine introduction, particularly among children <1 year of age, suggest the potential benefit of vaccination.

Rotavirus vaccination was introduced in Brazil in March 2006. We describe trends in hospitalizations from all-cause gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years during pre- and postvaccination periods using hospital discharge data from Brazil Hospital Information System (SIH-SUS). A reduction in gastroenteritis hospitalizations of 26% and 48% in 2006 and in 2007, respectively, was observed among children younger than 1 year compared with prevaccination period (1998-2005). The largest reduction rates among children younger than 1 year were noted in the South and Southeast regions, approximately 56% in 2007, where vaccine coverage was the highest.

GE-related DCRDs, HDs and hospitalizations were significantly reduced in <1 and in 1- to <5-year-old Brazilian children after Rotarix introduction, which provides additional evidence of the direct and indirect population-level effect of RV vaccination on GE-related mortality and morbidity in children.