Background paper to the recommendation for routine rotavirus vaccination of infants in Germany

This paper presents the scientific background, which supported the decision-making process of the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) related to a recommendation on routine RV vaccination in Germany. In alignment with the STIKO set of key questions and the STIKO Standard Operating Procedures [91], this background paper summarizes results of systematic reviews of the literature focusing on efficacy, effectiveness, impact and safety of RV vaccines, as well as on the local epidemiology of RV infections in Germany. In the accompanying appendices additional information regarding the conducted systematic reviews is presented. The appendices are available online and can be downloaded from the RKI website (http://www:stiko.de/en).