Rotavirus vaccine side effects and contraindications

After the birth of a newborn, the family must be very happy, but there are also many tasks that need to be done well. In order to protect newborns and ensure that they can grow up healthily, it is very necessary to vaccinate them. Rotavirus vaccine is a vaccine against rotavirus infection. It has almost no side effects, so parents can arrange for their babies to be vaccinated with confidence.

1. What is rotavirus vaccine?

Rotavirus vaccine is a live attenuated recombinant vaccine. The vaccines currently administered in China are generally sweetened oral solutions that do not require injections and are convenient for children to take. Generally, antibodies are produced 2 weeks after taking the medicine, and the antibody concentration reaches its peak at 4 weeks, with a protection rate of 90% against severe diarrhea. Because there is no specific treatment for gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus infection, symptoms can only be relieved through symptomatic treatment, so oral rotavirus vaccine is the most economical and effective means of preventing the disease.

Age and time period for rotavirus vaccination

This oral vaccine is mainly used in children aged 6 months to 5 years. For children aged six months to three years, take it orally once a year; for children aged three to five years, take it once. In addition, September to January of the following year is the season for autumn diarrhea, so the preventive effect of the vaccine will be better if it is administered from August to October each year.

Contraindications of rotavirus vaccination

1. People suffering from serious diseases, acute or chronic infections.

2. People suffering from acute infectious diseases and fever.

3. Patients with congenital cardiovascular malformations, blood system diseases, and renal insufficiency.

4. People with severe malnutrition or allergies.

5. People with digestive tract diseases and gastrointestinal disorders.

6. People with immunodeficiency and receiving suppressive treatment.

What are the side effects of oral rotavirus vaccine?

There are no serious side effects after taking this vaccine orally. Only some children will experience mild diarrhea and vomiting, which will disappear in 2 to 3 days. For children under 3 years old who are vaccinated, some may experience low-grade fever, loss of appetite, restlessness and decreased activity 5 days after the first dose; with the second dose, there is only a mild fever; and by the third dose, these phenomena rarely occur. Rotavirus infection ranges from asymptomatic, mild to severe, with fatal gastroenteritis, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance occurring in severe cases. Symptoms of rotavirus gastroenteritis include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, and non-bloody watery diarrhea, which can last 3 to 9 days.