Vaccine Choice Canada Rotavirus - Disease & Vaccine Information

Rotavirus

Rotavirus is an intestinal virus that can cause diarrhea and vomiting and occasionally fever. It is transmitted when individuals come into contact with the body fluids or feces. Virtually all children become infected with rotavirus in the first five years of life. It is possible to have rotavirus infection more than once since neither the vaccine nor natural infection confers full immunity to all strains of the virus. Infants younger than three months of age may not develop diarrhea when they are infected because they have maternal antibodies transferred from their mother to protect them in the first few months of life, including through breastfeeding. Most children with rotavirus diarrhea recover on their own.

The Vaccine

The vaccine contains genetically engineered live attenuated rotavirus strains taken from infected humans and cows. The viruses are then grown in monkey kidney cells.
The rotavirus vaccine is administered orally and approved for use in infants between the ages of six and 24 weeks. It is recommended 2 or 3 times in the first six months.
Excretion of the live vaccine virus in the stools of the vaccinated children is known to occur after vaccination. Persons in contact with recently vaccinated children should wash their hands after changing the child’s diapers.

Considerations for the Vaccine Decision

The primary justification for including the rotavirus vaccine in the childhood schedule is financial rather than health related.
The initial rotavirus vaccine was withdrawn from the market in 1999 because it caused a marked increase in intussusception, an intestinal obstruction that must be treated immediately or it can be fatal. The current vaccines appear to be safer than the original vaccine but can still cause intussusception.
The rotavirus vaccine was never tested on babies or children over eight months of age.
The rotavirus vaccine is the subject of significant controversy for conflict of interest, as Dr. Paul Offit who participates in the decision of which vaccines are included in the childhood schedule in the US, owns the patent for the vaccine.
Paul Thomas, author of The Vaccine Friendly Plan, reports that data from his own practice shows that infants who got the rotavirus vaccine were four times more likely to have gastroenteritis and diarrheal illness than those who did not get the vaccine. [50] His advice is that the vaccine is unnecessary as long as families practice good hygiene, drink clean water, and have access to health care services.
A breastfed infant who is not in daycare is unlikely to contract rotavirus.
By age five, most children with healthy immune systems are immune to rotavirus.
As of May 31, 2023, there have been 37,822 adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) in connection with rotavirus vaccines. Of these reported adverse events, 12,112 were listed as serious and 944 were deaths. [51]
A US HHS study acknowledged that less than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported. [52]
The safety of the rotavirus vaccine has not been proven against a true placebo.

For more information: https://www.nvic.org/disease-vaccine/rotavirus

References

[50] The Vaccine Friendly Plan. Dr. Paul Thomas, 2016. Pp. 119

[51] https://www.nvic.org/disease-vaccine/rotavirus/quick-facts

[52] Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System – https://digital.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/publication/r18hs017045-lazarus-final-report-2011.pdf