Children vaccinated early against rotavirus show a lower risk of developing Type 1 diabetes later in life, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
To conduct the study, researchers from the University of Michigan analyzed data from a nationwide health insurer from Jan. 1, 2001, to June 30, 2017. They found rates of Type 1 diabetes were 41 percent lower for children who received the entire rotavirus vaccination series compared to unvaccinated children.
Children who received the vaccination series also experienced a 93.9 percent lower hospitalization rate for rotavirus and a 31 percent lower overall hospitalization rate. The greatest numbers of unvaccinated children came from New England and the Pacific states.
The study's authors warned the results do not necessarily show a cause-and-effect relationship between the rotavirus vaccine and reduced Type 1 diabetes risk. "It takes large amounts of data to see any trends across a population," study author Mary A.M. Rogers, PhD, told Science Daily.