Rotavirus protection for your baby

If you have a baby or young child, then Rotavirus is a virus that you need to be aware of. Rotavirus is highly contagious and causes all sorts of icky and dangerous symptoms. Before 2006, rotavirus was the leading cause of severe diarrhea in U.S. infants and young children, resulting in more than 400,000 doctor visits; more than 200,000 emergency room visits; 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations; and 20 to 60 deaths in children younger than 5 years of age annually. What changed after 2006? The rotavirus vaccine was released. Now, far fewer children are affected by rotavirus. Read on to learn more about both the virus and the vaccine. What are the symptoms of Rotavirus? All of the symptoms below can occur when someone is infected with the rotavirus. Babies and younger children are especially vulnerable to the harshest symptoms.

• Severe watery diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Dehydration
• Death

How is rotavirus spread? Rotavirus infection is extremely contagious. Folks who get it shed large amounts of the virus in their feces. The disease spreads when rotavirus gets to the mouth. Usually because of contact with the hands of other people or objects (such as toys) that are contaminated with small amounts of rotavirus. Can rotavirus be prevented? Handwashing and cleanliness can help prevent rotavirus spread but not by much. For the best protection, the CDC recommends that babies are vaccinated with one of the two available rotavirus vaccines. The vaccines are very effective (85% to 98%) in preventing severe rotavirus disease in infants and young children

• Learn more about the rotavirus vaccines.

Learn more about vaccine safety:

• Updated 2011 immunization schedule for babies and kids available
• Vaccines do protect against fatalities.
• Should babies get multiple vaccines at the same time?
• More new evidence that vaccines do not cause autism
• Misinformation about vaccine safety puts kids at risk of illness