The burden of diarrhea in children’s hospitalization prior and post rotavirus vaccination

Diarrhea is the passage of excessively liquid or frequent stools with increased water content. Acute diarrhea is defined as the abrupt onset of 3 or more loose stools per day and lasts no longer than 14 days. The most common causes of acute diarrhea in children are viral infection, rotaviruses the most common. Although often considered a benign disease, acute gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children around the world, responsible for 1.34 million deaths annually in children younger than 5 years, which account for 15% of all child deaths. The introduction and free access of Rotarix since 2019 in Albania had an enormous impact in morbidity and hospitalization due to gastroenteritis in children.