Rotavirus vaccine can protect against diabetes

Rotavirus vaccine reduces one-third the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, scientists from the University of Michigan said.

They analyzed the data of the health insurance system for 1.5 million American children born before and after 2006. Over 547,000 children born 5 years were not vaccinated. Nearly the same number of children born after 2006 underwent a full course of immunization. Some of the remaining half a million children received at least one vaccine against rotavirus, but not the full course, and another part was not vaccinated, although they were born after 2006.

Australian scientists have found that after vaccination against rotavirus, the likelihood of becoming type 1 diabetes significantly decreases. According to their data, children who underwent a full course of rotavirus vaccination were 33% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes than non-vaccinated children.

According to scientists, it is possible that infection with rotavirus may contribute to the development of diabetes. The virus infects the same pancreatic cells as type 1 diabetes, and it is the dysfunction of these insulin-producing cells that becomes a factor in the development of the disease.

As indicated in the study report, rotavirus vaccination reduces the likelihood of a rotavirus infection by as much as 94%.

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