Rotavirus Vaccine

I also strongly encourage you to get this vaccine for your child. Rotavirus can be a horrible disease - causing diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to sever dehydration and possibly death. Rotavirus is common, and while in the US death is rare, it can lead to hospitalization. I know you want to do what's best for you child, and vaccinating is the right thing to do. Also know that this vaccine is administered orally (it is not an injection) and the first dose must be given by 12 weeks of age or the doctor will not start the series. So if you wait until the 4 month visit, it will be too late to get it.

Honestly, I read Dr. Sears book on vaccinces and rotavirus does not appear to be a very serious illness in the US. Apparently children get Rotavirus disease frequently but it just manifests itself as a incidence of diarhea(sp, so you are unaware that the child has even had the disease. Death and severe dehydration are not common in the US because of the abundancy of clean drinking water and medical services.
I strongly recommend the Dr. Sears book because it seems to be unbiased and fact based...not emotion based.

I do know of a 1 or 2 year old friend of the family who had the vaccine and still got a very serious bout of the Rotavirus and had to be hospitalized. It was espcially scary because he had received the vaccine.

Here is a post from one of the groups that I belong to. Her son apparently has rotovirus and he seems to be doing ok.

DS is 13 months old and we officially have Rotavirus. He seems to be doing okay with it and is still nursing well. He refuses any other water or drink though and won't eat much. I know it has to run its course, but didn't know if there might be something natural to help ease the symptoms.

Thanks,
XXX

When my son got the Rotavirus Vaccine it was not a shot, rather a liquid he drank. I wish they had this vaccine around when my daughter was born. My daughter got the Rotavirus several times and it is horrible!!!! I was extremely thankful for the vaccine with my son. Just talk to a mom friend that has gone through the rotavirus with their child and you'll gladly give your little one this non-needle vaccine : )

Good luck!

I have 4 kids and the vaccine was not available for my oldest 2 girls. My second daughter has rotavirus when she was 3 1/2 and was hospitalized for 4 days. It was a living nightmare! Without being too graphic here, the diarrhea literaly poured out of her. She was hospitalized and recieved IV fluids until the virus ran its course. And children, especially babies, can definately die or have serious complications from rotavirus...dehydration can sneak up on a little one with rotavirus very quickly. I was very much aware that my daughter had rotavirus and diarrhea can be VERY serious to little ones because they dehydrate so quickly. There is nothing 'natural' that can easy the symptoms of rotavirus, just rehydration. And sometimes IV fluids are necessary. I would not and did not hesitate to give my youngest 2 sons the rotavirus vaccine and I would strongly encourage anyone else who is reading this to do so, too. It is NOT a shot, rather a small amount of liquid the infant drinks. There are no guarantees that your child will/won't get the virus, but they say with the vaccine if he/she does get the virus it will be less severe than if he/she didn't recieve the vaccine. Vaccinate your children, please. Keep them healthy!