Vaccine vs. rotavirus now available

GlaxoSmithKline-manufactured rotavirus vaccine approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs is now in Cebu to protect children from the incurable rotavirus diarrhea.

GSK's two-dose oral rotavirus vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine developed from a single human strain designed to provide early protection before the onset of rotavirus illness, as well as effective protection against multiple rotavirus strains.

Rotavirus has caused around 40-50% of infantile diarrhea in the country. It is one of the top causes of high mortality and morbidity in the country and in the world. It attacks most children ages six months to two years.

It can cause vomiting, fever, dehydration, and loose bowel movement from 10 to 20 times a day. It is highly infectious and the predominant mode of transmission is the fecal-oral route. Because the virus can survive in the environment, transmission can occur through person-to-person spread, ingestion of contaminated water or food and contact with contaminated surfaces, such as toys. The virus can survive for hours on hands and for days on solid surfaces. It remains stable and infective in human feces for up to one week.

Hospitalization is required, although there is no known cure for rotavirus diarrhea. The most that hospitals can do is to re-hydrate the patient. However, excessive diarrhea may lead to death. This is why doctors strongly recommend prevention of this illness through vaccination.

First-time mom Daryl Carpio, a voracious reader and doting mother to 7-month old Dominic Craig, first learned about the deadly rotavirus from reading magazines and newspapers. When her pediatrician, Dr. Corazon Mendezona of Cebu Doctors Hospital, told her about the new rotavirus vaccine, Daryl didn't think twice about having her baby vaccinated.

"I was very willing to have it administered to Dominic since I've read about rotavirus. From what I've read, children would vomit even in their sleep when they've contracted rotavirus. I didn't know there was a vaccine until Dr. Mendezona told me about it," says Daryl. "My husband Jun and I believe in vaccination because we don't want to see our son get sick from diseases that we could have prevented."

Doctors recommend rotavirus vaccine administration to start during the first 6 to 14 weeks upon birth and the succeeding dose to be given between 14 to 24 weeks of the baby's life. A minimum of a four-week interval between doses must be observed. Now that it is here in Cebu, parents are advised to take advantage. - Jasmin R. Uy