New Vaccine to Beat Rotavirus
Written by admin on April 30, 2013
Vaccination against rotavirus will be offered to all babies in Scotland born on or after May 1 this year.
Rotavirus causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies and young children, and can lead to dehydration that requires hospital treatment.
The introduction of the rotavirus vaccine follows a recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The vaccine will be part of the routine childhood immunisation programme and mainly given in GP surgeries.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said that the rotavirus vaccine has already been given safely to millions of babies around the world.
“Currently in Scotland, around 1,200 babies have to go to hospital every year due to severe diarrhoea and vomiting caused by rotavirus, and in some of the most serious cases that can result in a hospital stay.
“The vaccine will not only protect tens of thousands of children from the effects of rotavirus every year, it will cut down on costly hospital admissions and the anxiety of hospital stays for parents and children,” Mr Matheson said.
Rotavirus is the first in a number of forthcoming additions to immunisation programmes. Childhood immunisation in Scotland is highly successful and a key contributor to protecting our public health.
The introduction of the rotavirus programme is part of a wider programme of changes to the routine immunisation programme in Scotland; including changes to the current schedule for administering the Meningitis C vaccine, the introduction of a shingles vaccine for people aged 70 and 79 years, and a phased rollout of the new childhood flu programme.
