RotaTeq is a viral vaccine that helps protect your
child against gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting) caused by rotavirus
infection.
Rotavirus gastroenteritis may cause fever, vomiting, and
diarrhoea. These symptoms can lead to the loss of body fluids (dehydration) and
even death.
Rotavirus is the chief cause of severe dehydrating diarrhoea among
infants and young children around the world. Before the vaccine was used, the
virus was the cause for about 25 million physician visits per year. It also
accounted for 2.1 million hospital admissions, and 352,000 to 592,000 deaths
per year worldwide.
Rotavirus infects the small intestine and usually starts with
fever and vomiting, followed by diarrhoea. The diarrhoea can be mild to severe
and generally lasts 3-9 days. Severe vomiting and diarrhoea (more than 5 times
each day) lasts an average of 3-6 days. Nearly all children are infected with rotavirus
by the time they are 5 years old. This is true even where standards of hygiene
are high.
How it
works
RotaTeq works
by causing your body to produce its own protection (antibodies) against the
most common types or "strains" of rotavirus.
As with other vaccines, RotaTeq may not
fully protect all those who get it. Some children may already have the virus
but not yet show signs of being sick. In those cases, the vaccine may not be
able to prevent the illness.
RotaTeq helps protect against diarrhoea and vomiting only if they are caused by rotavirus. It does not protect against them if they are caused by anything else.