Burden of Rotavirus Disease in Norway: Using National Registries for Public Health Research.

Background: Norway introduced routine rotavirus immunization for all children born on or after September 1, 2014. We estimated the healthcare burden of all-cause gastroenteritis and rotavirus disease in children <5 years old to establish the prevaccine baseline and support the ongoing immunization program.

Methods: We examined national registry data on gastroenteritis-associated primary care consultations and hospitalizations for 2009-2013 and data on all deaths in children <5 years old reported during 2000-2013.