Vaccine to help reduce baby sickness

FROM July 1 a new vaccine – administered simply as a drop of liquid – will help reduce the incidence of sickness and diarrhoea in children.
In England at present, one in five children will need medical attention during the first five years of life due to rotavirus.
And one in 10 of these – about 13,000 altogether – will be hospitalised because of the virus, which can be spread very easily through coughing, sneezing, hand to mouth contact or by touching contaminated surfaces ranging from toys to dirty nappies.
But all babies born on or after May 1, 2013 are to be offered the new vaccine, which will be introduced from 1 July.
Cllr Pat Wright, Warrington Borough Council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, commented today:
“The new vaccine will help prevent eight out of ten cases of rotavirus infection, which is a major cause of sickness and diarrhoea in babies and young children. The vaccine will be given simply as drops in the mouth at two months and then again at three months.
“This is an important step forward, because although most babies infected with rotavirus recover at home, sometimes it causes dehydration and babies may need hospital treatment, which apart from being a miserable experience for the baby can also cause a lot of stress and upset to parents and carers.
“People can find out more by talking to their GP, health visitor or practice nurse. Also a detailed rotavirus fact sheet is available from GP surgeries, and it’s also on the internet.”
To find out more about rotavirus, go to www.nhs.uk/rotavirus-vaccine.