When I take Willow to the Pediatrician and she gets any kind of shots, the doctor gives us a pamphlet with information on the shots (Likely from the CDC). So, since everyone is all up in arms about the links between vaccinations and things like autism, I thought I'd take an in-depth look at the vaccinations. Next in line is the Rotavirus vaccination.
The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccinations and Immunizations section has a recommended immunization schedule that you can download. They also have a lot of great information for each and every vaccination so this is where I will start in my search for information. Here is their pamphlet on Rotavirus.
The Rotavirus vaccination is given in three doses. The first is at 2 months of age, the second at 4 months of age, and the third at 6 months of age (if needed). This vaccination is an oral vaccination (not a shot) and may be given at the same time as other vaccinations.
So, how about a brief history on Rotavirus? According to Wikipedia, In 1943, Jacob Light and Horace Hodes proved that a filterable agent, in the feces of children with infectious diarrhea, also caused scours (livestock diarrhea) in cattle [via a study]. Three decades later, preserved samples of the agent were shown to be rotavirus [findings here]. In the intervening years, a virus in mice was shown to be related to the virus causing scours [findings here]. In 1973, related viruses were described by Ruth Bishop in children with gastroenteritis, in Australia [study abstracts here and here].
In 1974, Thomas Henry Flewett suggested the name rotavirus after observing that, when viewed through an electron microscope, a rotavirus particle looks like a wheel (rota in Latin); the name was officially recognized by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses four years later. In 1976, related viruses were described in several other species of animals. These viruses, all causing acute gastroenteritis, were recognized as a collective pathogen affecting humans and animals worldwide. Rotavirus serotypes were first described in 1980, and in the following year, rotavirus from humans was first grown in cell cultures derived from monkey kidneys, by adding trypsin, (an enzyme found in the duodenum of mammals and is now known to be essential for rotavirus to replicate), to the culture medium. The ability to grow rotavirus in culture accelerated the pace of research, and by the mid-1980s the first candidate vaccines were being evaluated.
In 1998, a rotavirus vaccine was licensed for use in the United States. Clinical trials in the United States, Finland, and Venezuela had found it to be 80 to 100% effective at preventing severe diarrhea caused by rotavirus A, and researchers had detected no statistically significant serious adverse effects [recommendation here and here]. The manufacturer, however, withdrew it from the market in 1999, after it was discovered that the vaccine may have contributed to an increased risk for intussusception, a type of bowel obstruction, in one of every 12,000 vaccinated infants. [2005 study abstract here] The experience provoked intense debate about the relative risks and benefits of a rotavirus vaccine. In 2006, two new vaccines against rotavirus A infection were shown to be safe and effective in children [study abstract here].
The two new ORAL vaccinations (not shots) are Rotarix by GlaxoSmithKline and RotaTeq by Merck.
So, what exactly is Rotavirus? According to the CDC, Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe diarrhea, often accompanied by vomiting, fever, and dehydration, mostly in babies and young children. It is the leading cause of diarrhea in infants and young children in the United States (U.S.) and worldwide. Almost all children in the U.S. are likely to be infected with rotavirus before their 5th birthday.
In the U.S., rotavirus is responsible for approximately 5 to 10 percent of all episodes of diarrhea among children younger than 5 years of age. However, because rotavirus causes more severe diarrhea than other pathogens, it accounts for a greater proportion of severe diarrhea cases (e.g., 40%-50% of diarrhea hospitalizations).
Rotavirus is not the only cause of severe diarrhea, but it is one of the most serious. Before rotavirus vaccine was used, rotavirus was responsible for:
in the United States each year.
The symptoms of Rotovirus start with fever, an upset stomach, and vomiting, followed by diarrhea. Rotavirus occurs most often in the winter and spring. Children are most likely to get rotavirus disease between November and May. Rotavirus is very contagious, spreading easily from children who are already infected to other children and sometimes adults. Once a child has been exposed to rotavirus, it takes about two days for symptoms to appear. Children who have rotavirus disease develop vomiting and watery diarrhea that may last from three to eight days. They may lose interest in eating and drinking and become dehydrated from loss of fluids. A child may develop rotavirus disease more than once because there are many different rotavirus types, but second infections tend to be less severe than the original infections.
Rotavirus is spread very easily through contaminated hands and objects and can be spread both before and after becoming sick with diarrhea. Rotavirus infections can cause diarrhea in adults caring for children, in the elderly, and in adults who are traveling, but this occurs less often than in children.
A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of any vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Most babies who get rotavirus vaccine do not have any problems with it. Babies may be slightly more likely to be irritable, or to have mild, temporary diarrhea or vomiting after getting a dose of rotavirus vaccine than babies who did not get the vaccine. Rotavirus vaccine does not appear to cause any serious side effects.
If rare reactions occur with any new product, they may not be identified until thousands, or millions, of people have used it. Like all vaccines, rotavirus vaccine will continue to be monitored for unusual or severe problems.
There are some children who SHOULD NOT get the vaccination or should wait. They include:
Check with your doctor if your baby’s immune system is weakened because of:
I found an awesome website that lists the package inserts and ingredients for all available vaccinations (e.g. provided by MERK or GlaxoSmithKline). It's called the World Association for Vaccine Education. However, while that site was a help with Hepatitis B, they have no lists for Rotavirus. BUT, I did find the Patent Information on the vaccination from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) here. It's dates 2006, so it's regarding the newest form of the vaccine.
Since we always hear about the link between getting vaccinated and some other disease or condition, I did a search to see if there were links between Rotavirus and any kind of disease or neurological disorder and found a previous suspected link to Juvenile Diabetes in the Rotavirus vaccination, but that was linked to the old vaccination that is no longer used. You can read the undated report here. I know they are referring to the old version because the new vaccination eliminates what they are talking about.
More Information:
And since there are those people that are concerned about links of vaccinations to neurological disorders and the like I thought I'd include some of their links as well:
Generation Rescue is an international movement of scientists, physicians and parent-volunteers researching the causes and treatments for autism and mentoring thousands of families in recovering their children from autism.
The Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute was established in 1996 to provide parents and other concerned people with educational resources enabling them to make more informed vaccine decisions. Thinktwice encourages an uncensored exchange of vaccine information, and supports every family's right to accept or reject vaccines.
I asked my pediatrician if she had a lot of parents who were choosing to NOT vaccinate their children. She said she could count on one hand the total number and that she, of course, recommends AGAINST not vaccinating your children.
Also:
Hepatitis B Vaccination Information
Diphtheria Vaccination Information
Tetanus Vaccination Information
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccination Information
October 8, 2008
About Vaccinations - Rotavirus
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