Rotavirus in Infants: How Vaccination Saves Lives

Before understanding the rotavirus vaccine, you need to know about rotavirus. Rotavirus is a common cause of diarrhea in infants and children around the world. Due to this, the child gets an intestinal infection called gastroenteritis. This infection damages the inner lining of the intestines, due to which the nutrients of the food are not absorbed in the body.

It is the main cause of severe diarrhea in children around the world, about 20 lakh children are hospitalized due to this virus, while about 5 lakh children under the age of 5 die every year due to this virus. Older children and adults can also get infected with this virus but their infection is not serious.

Rotavirus is an infectious disease. Its germs are present in the feces of the infected person and remain alive for a long time. When the child touches any dirty place or thing and puts his hands in his mouth, then these germs also make the child vulnerable to infection. The possibility of rotavirus infection spreading from one child to another is very high mainly in hospitals and creches or day-care (where children stay for some time during the day).

When the child is infected with rotavirus, symptoms like fever, nausea, vomiting, pain in the lower abdomen and frequent loose stools can occur. This problem lasts for about eight days. If the child has excessive diarrhea, then due to this there is also a lack of water in his body. Due to this, the child has to be admitted to the hospital many times. In some cases, children even die due to this infection.

To protect children from this virus, rotavirus vaccine is given to them. This vaccine is given to the child like polio medicine and this is the main benefit of this vaccine. The following four types of rotavirus vaccine are available in India.

• Rotavac Oral Vaccine
• Rotarix Oral Vaccine
• RotaTeq Oral Vaccine
• Rotasure Oral Vaccine

(Read more - Epilepsy in Children: Diagnosis to Treatment)

The dosage of the rotavirus vaccine is determined based on its brand. Some brands of this medicine given to the child are given less dosage, while some are given more. The doctor decides which medicine should be given twice or thrice. Know at what age the dose of rotavirus vaccine is given-

• First dose - When the baby is 2 months old,
• Second dose - When the baby is 4 months old,
• Third dose - When the baby is 6 months old (if absolutely necessary)

Generally, the first dose of rotavirus vaccine is given to the baby when he is 15 weeks old, while the last dose of rotavirus vaccine should be given to the baby before he is 8 months old. Rotavirus vaccine can also be given along with other vaccines, doing so does not pose any risk to the baby.

(Read more - Understanding Different Types of Headaches in Children)

Rotavirus vaccine is also included in infant vaccination to protect against rotavirus. Four brands of this vaccine are available in India and the price of all of them is between 650 to 1650. Know the brands and prices of Rotavirus vaccine through the following chart -

Brand                                         Price

• Rotavac Oral Vaccine                 689
• Rotarix Oral Vaccine                  1613
• RotaTeq Oral Vaccine                1050
• Rotasure Oral Vaccine                729

As with any vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine can cause severe allergic reactions. However, in normal cases, Rotavirus vaccine does not cause side effects. But even if a child experiences side effects from it, they are very mild and get cured on their own in a few days. For now, know the symptoms of side effects in detail:

• Difficulty breathing 
• Wheezing sound while breathing
• Hives
• Yellowness in the skin 
• Rapid heart rate
• Restlessness in the baby
• Diarrhea 
• Vomiting 

(Read more - How to Recognize and Treat Brain Fever in Children)

When the child has a severe allergy to the previous dose of rotavirus vaccine, then other doses of the vaccine should not be given. Also, if there are some special symptoms, you should not give rotavirus vaccine to your child or give it only after consulting the doctor. Avoid giving rotavirus vaccine in the following conditions-

• Severe allergy to any component of the vaccine
• Combined immunodeficiency disorder – a disorder occurring from birth which affects the immunity of children
• HIV or any other disease due to which the immunity of the child has become weak
• Steroid medicines have been used in the treatment of any disease
• Immunity has become weak due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer treatment
• In some situations, doctors recommend giving a rotavirus vaccine to the child.

Rotavirus vaccine also poses risks to the child. This vaccine puts the child at risk of intussusception (Intussusception: folding of the intestinal lining inwards). This is a serious problem. In this, there is a blockage in the intestines, which is cured after the operation. The risk of intussusception in a child due to rotavirus is very low.

When intussusception occurs, the child has severe pain in the stomach and keeps crying. In the initial stage, its symptoms last for a few minutes, which can later last up to an hour. When this happens, the baby cries while shaking his legs rapidly. Also, in this condition, the child often starts having problems like vomiting, blood in stool, weakness and irritability. Generally, such symptoms occur after the first and second dose of rotavirus vaccine, apart from this, you can see such symptoms in the child at any time after taking the medicine. If intussusception and severe allergy occur after taking the rotavirus vaccine, you should immediately consult a doctor.

(Read more - Childhood Obesity: Signs, Risks, and Ways to Address It)

Rotavirus vaccine is an effective measure to prevent rotavirus infection in infants. This infection mainly causes diarrhea, vomiting, fever and dehydration, which can also cause death in severe cases. This vaccine is given to children in the early months, so that their body develops immunity against infection. Usually two or three doses of rotavirus vaccine are given, which are completed within 6 to 24 weeks after birth. This vaccine is safe and recommended by the World Health Organization, which helps in improving the health of children and reducing deaths due to diarrhea.