MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
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Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea worldwide among children aged <5 years (1). An estimated 527,000 children in this age group died from rotavirus in 2004, and approximately 85% of those deaths occurred in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (2). In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended inclusion of rotavirus vaccination in all national immunization programs (3). ⋯ WHO coordinates a global surveillance network for rotavirus that uses standardized case definitions and laboratory methods at sentinel hospitals to identify cases of rotavirus in children with diarrhea. This report summarizes an assessment of data from the global surveillance network for 2009, which found that, among 43 participating countries that tested ≥ 100 stool specimens and reported results for all 12 months in 2009, a median of 36% of enrolled and tested children aged < 5 years hospitalized with diarrhea (range: 25%-47% among the six WHO regions) tested positive for rotavirus. These data illustrate the important etiologic role of rotavirus in hospitalizations for diarrhea in children worldwide, which can be prevented by rotavirus vaccination.
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In 2009, approximately 410,000 teens aged 15-19 years gave birth in the United States, and the teen birth rate remains higher than in other developed countries. ⋯ Teen childbearing is associated with adverse consequences for mothers and their children and imposes high public sector costs. Prevention of teen pregnancy requires evidence-based sex education, support for parents in talking with their children about pregnancy prevention and other aspects of sexual and reproductive health, and ready access to effective and affordable contraception for teens who are sexually active.