Study: Rotavirus Vaccine Policy Shift Could Add $103.5M in Costs
A modeling study published Oct. 26 in JAMA Network Open, led by Washington University School of Medicine researchers, estimates that shifting routine rotavirus vaccination to shared clinical decision-making could raise U.S. healthcare costs by $34.5 million to $103.5 million for a single birth cohort followed through age 2. The model projects 1,500 to 4,500 additional hospitalizations and 4,400 to 13,200 additional emergency department visits for acute gastroenteritis if 10% to 30% of infants shift from fully vaccinated to unvaccinated status, against a baseline of over 20,200 hospitalizations and 126,800 ED visits. The analysis follows President Trump's Aug. 10 executive order directing CDC to revise the childhood vaccine schedule, including moving rotavirus and several other vaccines to shared clinical decision-making. Researchers say their estimates are conservative since the model excludes indirect protection effects, outpatient visits, and publicly insured children.