Josephine van Dongen

Chapter 8 198 Summarizing conclusion Rotavirus vaccine (cost-) effectiveness and its safety profile among infants with medical risk conditions (MRC) and the implementation of a targeted rotavirus vaccination program have been studied and evaluated in this thesis. This population of infants with MRC should be prioritized for prevention since their disease burden is highest and substantial, even in a well-developed country like the Netherlands. However, a hospital-based vaccination program targeted exclusively towards these medical risk infants showed limited protection and efficiency. Vaccine performance is subject to host characteristics and changing epidemiological conditions, which warrants population specific research and continued surveillance of vaccine effectiveness. The limited protection from current oral rotavirus vaccines among infants with MRC emphasize the need for alternative and optimized preventive strategies for rotavirus disease.