What is Rotavirus?
Rotavirus is a very contagious virus, especially in infants. It causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines, leading to diarrhea and other digestive tract issues.
Rotavirus infections are unpleasant and alarming. But you can usually treat this infection at home by giving your baby extra fluids to prevent dehydration. Occasionally, severe dehydration requires receiving fluids through a vein (intravenously) in the hospital. If your infant gets exposed to rotavirus, they likely won’t display symptoms for two days. After that, they may have:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Stomach Pain
While anyone can get rotavirus, it’s most common in children and infants. In fact, before the development of a vaccine in the United States, most children would get infected by the virus before age 5. So, the rotavirus vaccination plays a vital role in preventing your child from contracting this harmful virus. But occasionally, the vaccine may cause severe rotavirus vaccine side effects or injury. These side effects can be alarming, especially when they affect your child.
Rotavirus Vaccine Side Effects
Some mild reactions to the rotavirus vaccine are normal. Babies may become irritable or restless, or experience mild diarrhea in the days following the vaccine.
But sometimes, more severe Rotavirus Vaccine Side Effects do occur. The most dangerous event that a rotavirus vaccine could cause is intussusception. Intussusception is an intestinal disorder in which the bowel folds into itself and blocks the intestine. This prevents essential food, fluid, and blood from passing through. Intussusception can lead to…
- Severe abdominal pain
- Watery diarrhea
- Temporary diarrhea
- Infection
Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of these severe rotavirus vaccine side effects. Intussusception is dangerous, especially if left untreated. Although intussusception can occur at any age, preterm infants, babies, and young children between ages 6 to 24 months are at higher risk than older children. Aside from intussusception, another rare rotavirus vaccine side effect is an allergic reaction. Like all vaccines, there’s a slight possibility that the rotavirus vaccine could cause anaphylaxis. Although rare, this severe allergic reaction is considered a medical emergency. Anaphylaxis usually occurs shortly after vaccination, and your medical professionals should quickly respond.
