Stomach bugs are never fun — for parents or kids! — but you can potentially ward off one of the most common causes of GI illness: rotavirus. Here's more about this contagious disease, and how the vaccine can help protect your little one.
What is rotavirus?
Rotavirus disease is an intestinal virus that is extremely contagious, spreading easily among infants and young children. The virus can cause severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. Children who get rotavirus disease can become dehydrated and may need to be hospitalized.[1]
Children are most likely to get rotavirus disease in the winter and spring; it tends to start in the Southwest in December and move to the Northeast by April to May, though kids can catch it at any time of the year.
Symptoms include severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. The vomiting and diarrhea can last three to eight days. Adults with rotavirus tend to have milder symptoms, but little ones are more likely to experience a loss of appetite and dehydration, which can be especially dangerous for infants and young children.
"As a pediatrician, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly a simple stomach virus can turn into a life-threatening situation for a baby," says Florencia Segura, M.D., a pediatrician at Einstein Pediatrics in Vienna, Virginia, a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and a member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. "Rotavirus was the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young children, and before the vaccine, nearly every child had at least one infection by age 5, with thousands hospitalized each year."
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What is the rotavirus vaccine?
There are two different rotavirus vaccines. Both are safe and effective, and are given by putting vaccine drops in an infant's mouth.
Your baby will get two (Rotarix) or three (RotaTeq) oral doses, depending on the type of rotavirus vaccine your doctor uses, at 2, 4, and potentially 6 months of age. Your child should get the first dose of rotavirus vaccine before 15 weeks of age and the last by 8 months.[2]
If your little one misses a dose or starts the series later, he should still get the vaccine. Your pediatrician will recommend the right number of doses and the intervals between them depending on his age.
“Dehydration might not sound like a big deal, but it definitely is a big deal in a baby,” says What to Expect Community user Alix78. “My oldest caught a bacterial infection at day care that was like rotavirus, and it was a nightmare! I wouldn’t want to risk putting a baby through those symptoms. Also, since it can be deadly on rare occasions, I wouldn’t want to risk it.”
Infants diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) or a history of intussusception (a serious intestinal condition) should not get the rotavirus vaccine.
Rotavirus is a highly contagious intestinal virus that can lead to severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. It can be particularly dangerous for infants and children, who are more likely to become dehydrated and end up in the hospital.
Rotavirus tends to circulate in the winter and spring. It usually starts in the Southwest U.S. in December and makes its way to the Northeast by April to May, though kids can catch it at any time of the year.
The rotavirus vaccine is safe and effective, and can help reduce the chances that your child will develop rotavirus infection. There are two separate vaccines (Rotarix or RotaTeq), and both are given to your infant in the form of oral drops.
Depending on which rotavirus vaccine your doctor uses, your child will get a dose at 2, 4, and potentially 6 months of age.
Why is the rotavirus vaccine important?
Before the rotavirus vaccine was available, nearly all children got at least one rotavirus disease infection by age 5 and the virus led to more than 500,000 doctor visits, 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations, and 20 to 60 deaths among young children each year in the U.S.[3]
Even though children who get the rotavirus vaccine may still get the infection in the future, they’re much less likely to get sick from rotavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.
"This vaccine isn’t just preventing illness — it’s keeping babies out of hospitals, reducing stress for parents, and, in some cases, saving lives," adds Dr. Segura. "While good hygiene helps, rotavirus is stubborn to handwashing and clean water, making vaccination the best and only reliable way to protect our children."
Since the vaccine was introduced, hospitalizations and emergency visits for rotavirus disease have dropped dramatically.
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