Rotavirus vaccine and disease: Do you want your baby to be among the first to try a new vaccine?
Sunday, September 2, 2007
This is a dilemma faced by all parents every time a new vaccine hits the market. And parents are once again faced with a new vaccine - Rotavirus. There's no question that this disease is a real pain in the diaper area. It is extremely common and can be very severe for infants. But since the vaccine is fairly new, some parents are leery. No one wants their own baby to be among the first to try out a new vaccine, but someone has to! You want your baby protected from this bad disease, but you'd rather wait until the vaccine has been given to hundreds of thousands of other babies first.
Since this vaccine went into widespread use in 2006, nothing really bad has shown up yet. That's why I've put it first on my Alternative Vaccine Schedule. But this debate will come around again the next time a new vaccine comes out.
Since this vaccine went into widespread use in 2006, nothing really bad has shown up yet. That's why I've put it first on my Alternative Vaccine Schedule. But this debate will come around again the next time a new vaccine comes out.
Labels: Vaccines and their diseases
posted by Dr. Bob Sears @ 9:47 AM
8 Comments:
At October 24, 2007 12:09 PM ,
JuliaZ said...
We won't do this one for our April 2008 baby, both because we don't want to be guinea pigs and because I will exclusively breastfeed at least 8 months and will nurse at least 2 years. I take a L. reuteri probiotic every day too. Those two things make me feel pretty safe from this sort of bug for our baby.
We also homebirth (no hospital germs) and don't do daycare/nurseries until at least 18 months of age. Seems like our risk of exposure is even pretty low.
At November 1, 2007 7:32 PM ,
ww said...
Has the Rotarix vaccine been approved yet? Your book references it but I am not sure if I can ask for it yet - and is it safe to use a newer vaccine?
At November 7, 2007 6:55 AM ,
Dr. Bob Sears said...
No, I have not seen approval for this yet. And I always like to wait a few months before I start using a new vax in my office anyway, to see what problems arrise.
At November 30, 2007 12:22 PM ,
Anonymous said...
Is it true that the rotavirus vaccine can only be administered at 2 month, 4 month and 6 month?
At December 4, 2007 8:51 PM ,
sac said...
My daughter had her 2 and 4 month Rotateq. I am strongly leaning towards her not getting the 6 month - my mother has cancer and can't be around my daughter for several weeks after the vaccination since it is a live virus. How protected will my daughter be with only receiving two of the three vaccinations in the series?
At February 20, 2008 3:32 AM ,
Amie said...
Why is it that insurance doesnt pay for the third of the rotavirus? From my understanding, NO insurance does. Not only that, but I myself saw first hand. My son GOT the vaccine, (because I was stupid and DIDNT research, because now I would have said no to it) but I let them give it to him. He got the rotavirus right after. It was a pain in the rear,literally, but honestly, I KNOW it was the shot that caused the case, because both of my children did not go to daycare or any school. They really didnt have much contact with other children, except for at the playground, and even that was not often since most of them were in school when we'd go to the playground.
At March 29, 2008 11:35 PM ,
Anonymous said...
My Son was in the study for RotoTeq. I was glad he did it. He had placebo and wound up getting RotoVirus itself. What a nasty thing! He lost 1/3 of his weight and wound up hospitalized. Now my 18 month old stepson who isn't vaccinated is hospitalized with RotoVirus because of dehydration issues. He was exclusively Breast Fed, No day care, his brother and sister are homeschooled, didn't matter, he is one very sick little boy. Meanwhile my 4 month old daughter who had her 2 month RotoTeq didn't catch it! She is also Exclusively Breast Fed. If she didn't get her vaccine at 2 months though It probably would have been a repeat of my son and now my stepson. I am glad to hear you have this vaccine as one of the first! I do too.
At May 9, 2008 6:36 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Thank you to all who have posted. Your comments are all valuable.
My four month old son just received his second dose and woke with diarrhea and threw-up all his breastfed milk. He has a slight fever too. However, what really scares me is that he slept all night.
I wouldn't change my mind about giving him the vaccine,but it's all so scary.
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