What is Rotavirus?
Rotavirus is one of the most serious causes of severe diarrhea, fever, and vomiting in young children. The virus is shed into the stool and vomit of infected individuals before, during and after the symptomatic period. Healthy children become infected when they put their fingers into their mouth or touch their eyes after touching a contaminated objected. The virus is not transmitted by coughing and sneezing. Nearly all American children are infected by age 5. Fortunately, there is a vaccine to reduce the risk that a child will become severely ill. Adults do not need to be vaccinated, since nearly all people older than 5 years of age are naturally immune to Rotavirus.
Why Is a Rotavirus Vaccine Needed?
The symptoms of rotavirus (fever, diarrhea, vomiting) can lead to severe dehydration. Prior to the rotavirus vaccination campaign, over 400,000 children went to the doctor each year with rotavirus and 55,000 to 70,000 of them required hospitalization. The virus is extremely contagious, so it is very difficult to prevent Rotavirus spread in settings with multiple children, such as daycares. Despite improved hygiene and awareness of infection protection measures, the amount of rotavirus infection did not decline in the U.S. until a vaccine was introduced.
How Does the Vaccine Work?
The rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq (by Merck) or Rotarix (by GlaxoSmithKline), are both weakened forms of the live rotavirus. They are given as a liquid in two to three doses (depending on the brand) at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. Essentially, the vaccine works by giving the child a very mild form of the illness, which triggers the immune system to react. Some children may experience loose stools as a side effect of rotavirus vaccination, but they cannot catch the full illness. Following vaccination, the immune system is able to remember that it has encountered rotavirus, so it will be able to effectively fight the virus off if the child is exposed to the full strength rotavirus.
Can You Get Rotavirus After Being Vaccinated?
Several strains of rotavirus exist and the vaccine does not fully protect a child from the illness. However, vaccination provides a level of "cross-protection" for all strains. This means that any rotovirus illness would be relatively mild. Some children respond more effectively than others to the vaccine, but most vaccinated children are partially protected against the virus.
