Rotavirus infection is one of the most common diarrheal infections requiring hospitalization under the age of five. Our patients may experience watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and deterioration in general condition up to ten to fifteen times a day due to Rotavirus. In fact, especially when babies under one year of age contract Rotavirus, unfortunately, they may even require intensive care admission as well as hospitalization. Rotavirus has become a nightmare for pediatricians, especially in the spring and summer months, and can cause serious problems if treatment is delayed or not.
Today's technology is available against Rotavirus, which has the potential to have such a severe course. Unfortunately, there is no treatment. Treatment is only for complaints, with oral rehydration solutions to replace the fluid lost through diarrhea or vomiting, if the patient can take it; If it cannot be taken, unfortunately it is in the form of intravenous serum under hospital conditions. Nutritional recommendations for diarrhea, probiotic and prebiotic drops, and zinc syrups support us in the treatment of the diarrhea caused by Rotavirus, not the Rotavirus itself.
The disease generally epidemics in autumn and summer and is transmitted via fecal or oral route. It is transmitted. We can quickly see epidemics in situations such as the use of unhygienic water and unclean hand hygiene. Unfortunately, our children under the age of 1, who will switch to supplementary food in these months, are unfortunately at risk.
Although there is no effective treatment against rotavirus; Vaccination against infection is available. Rotavirus vaccines are not covered by the Ministry of Health and are included in the scope of private vaccines. Since there are two different types of rotavirus vaccines in our country, I would like to talk about both of them.
Monovalent vaccine; It is administered orally in two doses. The vaccine can be administered as early as the sixth week of life. The first dose of the vaccine should not be later than the 16th week (4 months). Although it is sufficient to preferably have 2 months between the two doses of the vaccine, you can have the second dose up to the 32nd week.
Pentavalent vaccine; It is administered orally in 3 doses. Doses increase It must last at least 4 weeks. Just like the monovalent vaccine, we can administer the first dose starting from the 6th week and the last dose must be administered by the 32nd week.
Vaccines can be administered orally as drops. However, since it is a medical treatment, it must be administered under hospital conditions.
Rotavirus vaccines are live virus vaccines. However, since it is administered orally as drops, it does not have any interaction with other vaccines administered by family physicians. For this reason, you can get the vaccines on the same day as the vaccines given in family physicians.
Another point that should not be forgotten is this; Even if rotavirus vaccination is administered, there is a possibility that patients may contract rotavirus infection. However, the vaccine helps make the infection much milder, and many of our patients will be able to overcome this infection with home treatment without requiring hospitalization.
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