Rotavirus & annoying comments.

[lovingmommyhood]

My 3 1/2 year old son just got over rotavirus. I've got three children and this was by FAR the worst illness I've ever ever delt with. Four days where my son didn't go two hours without vomiting AND having the most explosive, watery, foul smelling diarrhea...many times coming out of both ends at once...all over mommy. *shudders* He didn't eat and could barely be bothered to lift his head off the pillow to take his two tablespoons of water. After he started being able to keep food down his diarrhea still continued for seven days straight. He slept in my bedroom with me and after the end of all this he ended up losing 15% of his body weight. I tell you all this because..I know...I KNOW how bad it is. So these people going on and on about how bad rotavirus is, they think they're telling me something I don't know.

Anyway. I digress.

I keep getting comments about "I bet you wish you had given him the rotavirus vaccine now, don't you?" and "Did you vaccinate him??" "Poor guy, if he'd been vax'd you wouldn't be dealing with this" "Next child...you'll know better."

Can anybody help me dispute this?? Am I wrong or would that vaccine not even cover him at this age?

Help!

[Emmeline II]

Rotavirus is given to infants (4mo I think). It is also a live virus which can result in the clinical symptoms of the Rotavirus. There are seven species of this virus, referred to as A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Rotavirus A, the most common, causes more than 90% of infections in humans.

[FernG]

I don't have the link anymore, so don't take my word for it, but maybe this will give you something to look up. Most people get rotavirus several times before they have lifetime immunity. Future cases aren't likely to be as bad as what you experience this round. Most of the elderly in the US are immune. Rotavirus is deadly in the elderly.

Here are some questions that I have about the rotavirus vaccine: Are the vaccinated children going to have lifetime immunity to protect them when they are elderly? What will it be like when they get their first case as college students instead of as children? Will they be stuck getting boosters every 10 years?

[snowqueen]

No one knows how long the rotavirus vaccine lasts. I read that It was tested for 2 years and they said it still provided strong protection and that it is a long lasting vaccine but they don't know how long is long because it wasn't tested x amount of years. Soooo, your relatives could be right.

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

Rotavirus is given to infants (4mo I think). It is also a live virus which can result in the clinical symptoms of the Rotavirus. There are seven species of this virus, referred to as A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Rotavirus A, the most common, causes more than 90% of infections in humans.

Which ones does the vax protect against? Or does it cover all of them?

No advice for the OP. I'm just sorry you're faced with all of this rudeness.

[Emmeline II]

[PenelopeJune]

My son had rotavirus when he was 1.5, and it was the only vax I didn't get him at the time. It sucked. It suuuuucked. He pooped and barfed and it was disgusting just like you said. But he got over it. He's perfectly fine now. I'm so glad I didn't get him the vax.

In fact, it was this illness that prompted me on the road to start thinking about the necessity of vaxxing in the first place. Sickness is just sort of a necessity of life. It just IS.

[Jenelle]

Huh. None of my children have had the rotavirus vaccine -- it has not been offered to us that I know of. Wasn't it pulled from the market for awhile? I remember my doctor telling me this because there had been some problems with it.

This thread makes me wonder if that isn't what we dealt with last winter -- it was some pretty nasty virus, but I never even thought of rotavirus. I just knew that whatever it was, we would eventually get over it.

When I was a child there were no vaccines for "stomach bugs". I guess I am going to have to do some research on rotavirus so I know what I'm talking about!

[snowqueen]

Originally Posted by Jenelle

Huh. None of my children have had the rotavirus vaccine -- it has not been offered to us that I know of. Wasn't it pulled from the market for awhile? I remember my doctor telling me this because there had been some problems with it.

That was an old one, Rotasheild that was taken off the market in 1999.

The one that is in use now is Rotateq.

[Cheshire]

From Kidshealth.org:

The RotaTeq vaccine has been found to prevent approximately 75% of cases of rotavirus infection and 98% of severe cases.

Even if their numbers are right your child could have been one of the vaccinated that didn't get immunity from the vaccine. It is not 100% effective.

I can't find where I read it but I remember reading something about we never acquire a lifetime immunity to rotavirus - we might have it for a few years but it wears off. That explains why adults still catch it. I think I read this when there was a big outbreak on a number of cruise ships a few years ago - people wanted to know why they weren't immune since they'd had the virus before. Not positive - going on memory. I'll look around some more and if I find it I'll come back and post.

I'm glad your little one is feeling better. Our son had it a couple of years ago and the fishy smelling diapers were horrible.

[KellyJelly]

Originally Posted by Turquesa

Which ones does the vax protect against? Or does it cover all of them?

Rotateq brand covers 5 strains

Rotarix brand covers 1 strain

I think most pediatricians use the Rotateq since it gives a more range of protection. I know my son's pediatrician uses rotateq.

[PenelopeJune]

I have no idea if I had rotavirus when I was a kid, but I do know that I caught it from my son when he was sick.

[lovingmommyhood]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune

My son had rotavirus when he was 1.5, and it was the only vax I didn't get him at the time. It sucked. It suuuuucked. He pooped and barfed and it was disgusting just like you said. But he got over it. He's perfectly fine now. I'm so glad I didn't get him the vax.

In fact, it was this illness that prompted me on the road to start thinking about the necessity of vaxxing in the first place. Sickness is just sort of a necessity of life. It just IS.

*smiles* Thank you for the responses.

I don't regret not getting the vax, not at all. I just wanted something stronger to tell them than "Of course I don't regret it."

[2boyzmama]

Two of my sons have had it, and yes it SUUUUCKED!!! My middle son was hospitalized for a week with it (but he has other severe medical problems).

My first son wasn't offered the vaccine, he was born in 2005 and it wasn't on the schedule then. He pooped and puked for 2 days, then continued to diarrhea for 8 days straight. So bad that we laid him on top of a pile of towels naked because he coudln't control anything. He laid there, sipped on gatorade and water, and slept off and on while watching movies.

When my middle son was hospitalized the attending dr told me that before the vaccine, they used to see rota during the Dec-Mar time almost exclusively. Once the vaccine was introduced, it became a year around illness. He said that because it's a live virus and sheds, babies or children around those recently vaxed are susceptible, and now they see it all the time.

My take on it is that yes it sucks when the kid has it, and there are a few that will get sick enough to require hospitalization (usually just to get rehydrated then they're fine). The chances of any serious side effects from the illness are SO low. You have to have some sort of other underlying issue in order for rota to be a really serious illness in most cases.

Why is it that people are so afraid of being sick? Or their kids being sick? Kids get sick. It sucks, it's a disruption in your normal lives, but you ride it out and are FINE. It's especially hard on double working families, or families with other children, but again it's just part of life!!!

We've "survived" rota twice, and no doubt we'll get it with my third son and it'll suck for a week or so, then he'll be fine.

[Turquesa]

Thanks to the two PPs for responding to my question. I'm really torn about this vax...

[nichole]

Originally Posted by Turquesa

Thanks to the two PPs for responding to my question. I'm really torn about this vax...

Well, lots of kids get stomach viruses even if they have had this vaccine. I think I would focus on what I would do if my child was sick because it is going to happen. The thing with rota is that it is gross, takes a long time to get over, and you have to watch for dehydration. When my five year old was a baby, they didn't have rotavirus vaccine. I think some good points were brought up. Who knows if boosters will be needed for the rest of the child's life. It just seems like a bad idea to me especially with the old rotavirus vaccine being taken off the market.

What does everyone do for dehydration on this board? I did breastfeed my son through it, and that did hydrate him (sufficient wet diapers), but he really didn't stop vomiting until I had him fall asleep on an empty stomach. I am now a fan of pedialyte and in my older children Propel. It works and it taste good. The only that worked for us was little sips (no gulping) frequently. Several hours after the vomiting stops or even maybe even waiting to the next day before starting toast or crackers. Then we moved on to the BRAT diet.

[MommaSuzi]

>>When my middle son was hospitalized the attending dr told me that before the vaccine, they used to see rota during the Dec-Mar time almost exclusively. Once the vaccine was introduced, it became a year around illness. He said that because it's a live virus and sheds, babies or children around those recently vaxed are susceptible, and now they see it all the time.

The vaccine is a live virus, so yes it is shed in the stool of of recently vaccinated babies, but what they are shedding is the same attenuated virus that they ingested. So it's not like babies and children around recently vaxed kids are getting sick all year around with Rotavirus.

My DD is just a little over 3.5 and the vaccine had been approved, but our pediatrician was not yet offering it. It is only approved to be started over a very short period of time, so once they started offering it, my DD was too old to receive it.
So a possible response to anyone who asks "don't you feel bad about not having gotten him the vax" is simply that it wasn't an option!

[2boyzmama]

Originally Posted by MommaSuzi

>>
The vaccine is a live virus, so yes it is shed in the stool of of recently vaccinated babies, but what they are shedding is the same attenuated virus that they ingested. So it's not like babies and children around recently vaxed kids are getting sick all year around with Rotavirus.

But they are. Just like the flu mist is an attenuated virus designed not to make you sick, but you can shed it to people around you. If the person around you does not have a normal immune system, for whatever reason, then yes they are susceptible to acquiring the virus. Which is why all live virus vaccines are contraindicated for people with immune compromise.

I have a son with primary immune deficiency, and not only is HE contraindicated from receiving live virus vaccines, but everyone in our family is as well. We have medical exemptions from his Infectious Disease dr for that reason.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Im just curious how you knew it was rotavirus? My son just got over a similar bought of diarrhea (2 1/2 weeks) and vommitting (about a week) His BMs still arent quite the same yet. When I suggested rotavirus to his Pedi, she said she didnt suspect that, as that is usually something she sees in the spring. He never had a fever, and was otherwise in a good mood. She said it was probably just a GI stomach bug, the typical kind you see around this time of year.

Hope your little guy is feeling better.

[rabrog]

I've known tons of kids who get rotavirus and were vax'd for it. Actually, I think I *maybe* a handful that were vax'd and didn't get it. I know many kids (including my own) that have never been vax'd and never gotten it.

Jenn