Before the introduction of the vaccine, almost all children under the age of 5 developed a Rotavirus gastroenteritis. For many it was an annoying infection, but in a non -negligible share of cases it led to hospitalization, and in the low income countries unfortunately still today is one of the main causes of childhood death
“Doctor, but do we do the anti -rotavirus vaccine or not?” It is a question that is often asked to me in the clinic, since it is a non -mandatory vaccine, the parents find themselves having to choose. Before deciding, however, they need to receive some important information:
What is Rotavirus? How exactly does the anti -rotavirus vaccine work and why is it recommended? What relationship is there between the vaccine and gastroenteritis in babies and children? What do you pay attention before and after administration?
In this article we will try to answer the most frequent questions about the topic.
What is the Rotavirus
What is the Rotavirus and what causes? It is the most common cause of serious gastroenteritis in infants and small children. It can cause intense diarrhea, vomiting and fever, with the consequent risk of dehydration.
In low -income countries, the difficulty in accessing rehydration care causes the rotavirus to be still responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.
In high -income countries, such as Italy, mortality is very low, but the virus remains a frequent cause of access to the emergency room and hospitalizations (in Italy, thousands of children every year). For families, it often means running in hospital at night, absent from work, facing days of stress and care.
For more information on how virus and symptoms works, we recommend reading the article “Rotavirus in children: symptoms, care and what it causes”.
Anti -Rotavirus vaccination in infants or infants?
The anti -Rotavirus vaccine was introduced free of charge within the national vaccination prevention plan in 2018. Among the reasons that led to this decision there is the fact that the vaccine has the ability to reduce the gastroenteritis from Rotavirus in more than 80% of cases and almost all the hospitalizations due to the infection.
There are two types of vaccine: Rotarix and Rotateq. The Rotarix must be taken in two doses, the Rotateq in three. The administrations have a precise temporal window: both vaccines must be made after 6 weeks of life (in Italy the first dose is scheduled starting from the 61st day of life, together with the exavalent and antipneumococcus) and repeated at least a month distance. The last dose should be taken within 6 months of life.
In both cases, the vaccine is made up of a lively virus virus, therefore unable to cause an infection, and is taken orally (therefore it should not be injected).
A clarification: the vaccine against rotavirus is often erroneously called “gastroenteritis vaccine”; Although it protects from one of the worst and most frequent gastroenteritis that can affect infants, other forms of gastroenteritis can be caused by other viruses present in the digestive system and immune to the vaccine.
Does the anti -rotavirus vaccine give side effects?
Yes, but mild. Among the most common side side effects from anti -Rotavirus vaccine we find diarrhea (one case every 10), which generally resolves in a short time and without any intervention. Precisely for this side effect, it is recommended to postpone vaccination in the event that the child is suffering from gastroenteritis.
After vaccination, children can also show:
- irritability;
- loss of appetite;
- Mild episodes and transient of fever and/or vomiting.
The most relevant adverse effect, however, is intestinal invagination. The first vaccine produced at the end of the 90s, RotashiLD, had in fact been withdrawn due to an increase in this surgical urgency that causes intestinal occlusion. The data relating to new vaccines, now used all over the world for many years, instead show only a very small increase in this condition (+ 1.5 cases of invagination on 100,000 vaccinated).
Rotavirus vaccine: contagion in adults
“If my child is made of the Rotavirus vaccine, risk the contagion?” Giulio’s mother addresses me this question with a little concern. I reply that yes, there is the risk of contagion for parents in the eight days after vaccination, since the mitigated virus of the Rotavirus vaccine can be found in the child’s feces.
“And in saliva?” He asks me immediately after. “Rotavirus vaccine creates saliva contagion?” In this case my answer is negative.
The main warning is therefore to wash your hands well after every change of diaper, and at most expect some episode of diarrhea.
Rotavirus vaccine: yes or not?
The answer is yes, even if it does not fall within compulsory vaccinations. In low income countries this vaccine saves many lives; In high -income countries such as ours instead prevents thousands of hospitalizations and access to the emergency room. For children it means less risk of serious gastroenteritis, therefore of hospitalization and intravenous rehydration. For families it means less nights in the hospital, less days of absence from work and less stress. WHO recommends vaccination all over the world, since the risk-benefit relationship is clearly in favor of the benefits.
