The CDC has now officially published the recommendation that all children in the U.S. receive vaccination against rotavirus, an extremely common cause of vomiting and diarrhea in infants and young children. The recommendation was made by the expert panel on vaccines in February, 2006.
The vaccine is an oral vaccine and is given at ages 2, 4, and 6 months. The first dose should be started by 12 weeks of age; a “catch-up” schedule is not recommended. It has few if any known side effects and seems to be well tolerated in extensive tests done prior to licensure.
Once the recommendation is officially published by the CDC, it becomes part of the standard, recommended vaccine schedule. Usually at that time insurance companies start covering the vaccine, though lately they have seemed slower at doing so.
For more information, see our previous reports on this vaccine or our main vaccine page.
