thread: Rotavirus vaccine?

  1. #1
    BellyBelly Life Member

    May 2004
    Geelong
    1,435

    Rotavirus vaccine?

    Is it possible for bubs to have this vaccine later? I think it's usually done at 2 and 4 months. Ned is 6 months and I've just been thinking about it. Has anyone's bub had it and what do you think?

  2. #2
    Life Subscriber

    Jul 2006
    Brisbane
    6,683

    Soph, the paed told me that all the doses had to be given before 6 months as they are not allowed to give it after that. We decided not to do it as Tom is exclusively bfed and this reduces his risk of these things anyway.

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    Eastern 'Burbs
    716

    Aaah, I was wondering about this too. That's good to hear about the bfeeding reducing the risk. I can't believe how expensive the vax was though! Is there a rebate?

  4. #4
    Life Member

    May 2003
    Beautiful Adelaide!
    2,877

    Nope, no rebate, sadly. I have had Lexie vaccinated against this. Olivia contracted RotaVirus when she was around 8 months old, only mildly, and it was HORRIFIC, hence we chose to get the vax for Lexie. But it was exy.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    near the water
    1,230

    Eliza too got Rotavirus at 16 months and was hospitalised for 2 weeks on a NGT and then again 2 weeks later for 2 days on IV. I will definatley be getting her vaccinated even thou they say once they contract it they are immune for 12 months.
    Bec

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Aug 2004
    NZ
    2,554

    Jenna got rotavirus at about 18m, and it was pretty horrendous. But we got through it, and I dont think in our case it was much difference from a normal nasty childhood illness.
    Might have been different though if it had been hotter weather at the time and she had got more dehydrated than she did.
    I wish I had still been breastfeeding though - would have made life alot easier I think.

  7. #7
    Life Member

    May 2003
    Beautiful Adelaide!
    2,877

    Fi, that was our problem: we were in Darwin, so v.hot, and Olivia was weaned......it was a shocker.....so yeah, it IS on the same level of other childhood illnesses. Although my paed that I saw when Lexie was born gave me the stat that 50% of Rota cases get hospitalised due to dehydration..........and that is the bit that scares me......

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Aug 2004
    NZ
    2,554

    I think we were very lucky that I noticed she was getting sick, and I got heaps of fluids in her on the first day, so day 2 and 3 when she wasn't eating anything, she still had some stores from day 1.
    By about the end of day 3 I was getting some ice chips into her, but yeah - its pretty horrid. It took her a good 2 weeks to get back to her normal self.

  9. #9
    BellyBelly Life Member

    May 2004
    Geelong
    1,435

    Yeap Rotavirus is the pits - Lucie had it at about 9-10 months and it was so stressful. We very very nearly took her to hospital but managed to pull through it at home. I just dread having to go through all that again, but looks like we've missed the boat in terms of timeframe for the vaccine. Bugger.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    Eastern 'Burbs
    716

    Ha, kinda (not) funny I replied a few days ago to this thread as yesterday when we woke Caty up for her 7am feed she'd vomited overnight (heaps) and she continued to vomit all day, couldn't keep any bmilk down and was very sleepy and not interested in feeding, so we ended up taking her to A&E at 10.30 last night. No bad poos which was nice. We're thinking it was a 24 hour gastro-ish bug (incedentally my sister was playing with Caty Thurs and she was throwing up and passing out all of Thursday night and had to go to A&E also and be put on a drip).

    Is there any point getting this vax then? Or is it too late? I'm so thankful it was only for 24 hours....I have washed sooo many towels, jeans, bras (gotta love the baby vomit down your cleavage) and bed sheets it's not funny!

  11. #11
    Life Subscriber

    Jul 2006
    Brisbane
    6,683

    I think rotavirus causes diarrhoea so it sounds like this was a different bug. You would have to ask your GP caty, the paed told me that the two doses had to be given 2 months apart and be complete by 6 months. He said the vaccines are only licensed for bubs up to 6 months, so I don't think the age is negotiable. However maybe the doses can be closer together to get them in before then for you. I think the recommendation is 2 and 4 months just so they coincide with the others for convenience. Would be worth asking if this is what you want to do.

    I hope DD (and sis) are doing better now.

  12. #12
    BellyBelly Member
    Add Tobily on Facebook

    May 2004
    Brisbane
    1,814

    I was told by DS paed that it's best given before 3 months.
    We didn't give it to Toby - he's exclusively b'fed and we went through it with DD as well - it was a PITA for a few days but not so bad that I would give him yet another vaccination to avoid it. Hoping breastfeeding will do the trick for him as well and even if he does get it will be fairly mild.