Rotavirus vaccination is the only way to protect against rotavirus infection. Of these, children are particularly affected. The high fluid loss from diarrhea and fever can even be life-threatening. About 50 percent of all affected children are therefore treated in the hospital. The rotavirus vaccine has been approved in Germany since 2006. Since then, the number of new infections has been greatly reduced. Read all important information about rotavirus vaccine here.
Rotavirus vaccine: description
Protection against rotavirus infection offer two vaccines. The rotavirus vaccine is a so-called oral vaccine, which means that in the rotavirus vaccine baby or toddler take the vaccine orally. The vaccine contains live but attenuated rotaviruses. These attenuated pathogens do not lead to a disease. But they stimulate the immune system of the body to form specific antibodies (antibodies) against the pathogens. If there is an infection with the rotavirus, the body can fight it better. The onset of the disease can be prevented or at least mitigated so often.
Rotavirus vaccine: baby and toddler
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends the rotavirus vaccine already in infancy. Breast diarrhea usually occurs at the age of six to 24 months, so vaccination should take place as early as possible. Depending on the vaccine used, two or three doses are administered.
Depending on the vaccine, there are several recommendations for starting the vaccine: The rotavirus vaccine with a two-dose regimen should last up to 16 weeks of age and must be completed by the 24th week of life. The rotavirus vaccine with the three-dose regimen should be completed by the 22nd week of life and must be completed by the 32nd week of life.
The individual vaccine doses must be administered at least four weeks apart. The easiest way is to have the rotavirus vaccine administered between the three checkups U3, U4 and U5. The rotavirus vaccine can be done at the same time as other vaccinations.
Infants and babies are at risk of coughing up or vomiting the vaccine after vaccination. If only a small part is coughed out, no new vaccination has to be given. However, if the baby has gulped most of the vaccine, a new vaccine may be given.
You should not breastfeed in the rotavirus vaccine shortly before and shortly after vaccination. Physicians suggest that certain components of breast milk may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine and that it could lead to a rotavirus disease despite vaccination.
Rotavirus vaccine: adults
A rotavirus vaccine for adults is not available. The two currently known vaccines are only approved for children up to the age of 24 or 32 weeks. Rotavirus vaccine for adults is not as important as it is for children. It is usually easier for adults to become ill with the rotavirus, so that infection does not affect them so dramatically. In addition, adults develop in their lifetime a certain contingent of antibodies (antibodies) against rotaviruses. With each new infection antibodies are formed again. Adults are therefore better protected from infection than unvaccinated children and infants even without rotavirus vaccination in childhood.
Rotavirus vaccine: Side effects
Rotavirus vaccination can have certain side effects, as with any other vaccine. The most common after the rotavirus vaccination are side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting and fever. These reactions arise directly through contact with the attenuated rotaviruses. In contrast to the true rotavirus infection, however, they are weak and disappear after a few days. In some cases it also causes abdominal pain or flatulence.
Special recommendations apply to immature premature babies. For them, protection from rotavirus vaccination is particularly important as they are very susceptible to infection. On the other hand, they can also be much more sensitive to the vaccine. In some cases there were short respite periods. Preterm infants should therefore always be vaccinated at the hospital and remain there after the vaccine for monitoring.
With age, the risk of side effects increases. Therefore, the rotavirus vaccine should be completely completed by the recommended time points. The greatest risk is a invagination of the intestine, which can be caused in a previously unclarified manner by the vaccine. This risk increases with age. Currently, the risk of intestinal invagination is estimated to be one to two persons per 100,000 vaccinated.
Rotavirus Vaccination: Yes or No?
In general, the recommendation for vaccination for rotavirus vaccination applies to every child from the sixth week of life. Doctors suspect that with the rotavirus vaccine almost 80 percent of all gastrointestinal infections in children can be prevented – at least for a period of two to three seasons. However, refractive diarrhea caused by other viruses or bacteria can not prevent the rotavirus vaccine.
There are some exceptions where none Rotavirus vaccination should be administered. This is the case with a proven immunodeficiency, with a hypersensitivity or intolerance to one of the contained vaccines, intestinal invaginations as well as in the presence of an acute illness requiring treatment (such as fever or diarrhea).