With the number of rotavirus cases rising across the country and in New Jersey this spring, experts at Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health Parents are being urged to ensure their children are vaccinated against this common and potentially serious disease. Rotavirus is an infectious virus that can cause gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Symptoms include severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain, which can lead to dehydration, hospitalization and – in rare cases – death.
Before the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in 2006, nearly every child in the United States was infected with the virus at least once by their 5th birthday. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it resulted in more than 400,000 doctor visits, more than 200,000 emergency room visits, 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations, and 20 to 60 deaths annually of children under five years of age. Since the introduction of the vaccine, the CDC estimates that the number of hospitalizations due to rotavirus among young children in the US has fallen by 40,000 to 50,000 each year.
Specifically for New Jersey, data from the WastewaterScan dashboard (a public monitoring tool that tracks infectious disease pathogens in wastewater in real time and is used by CDC’s Wastewater Surveillance Program) shows a general resurgence across the state.
Vaccination is the most effective tool to protect our children from rotavirus. “The safety profile of the vaccine is excellent and it has been proven to prevent serious disease, keep children out of hospital and give parents peace of mind.”
Daniel Ruderfer, MD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC). Hovnanian Children’s Hospital
“Rotavirus vaccine is a safe and highly effective tool to prevent severe diarrheal disease in young children. We have seen a dramatic reduction in hospitalizations due to rotavirus since the introduction of the vaccine, which means fewer children are suffering serious complications of the disease, such as dehydration,” says Harpreet Pal, MD, chief medical officer of JSUMC, whose specialty is K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital houses pediatric gastroenterology.
“We strongly encourage parents to talk to their pediatrician to ensure their children’s safety,” says Dr. Pal, who is also a professor of pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Rotavirus vaccine is given orally in two or three doses, depending on the brand, starting when the child is two months old. It is important for infants to receive the first dose before 15 weeks of age and complete the series before they are 8 months old.
“As pediatricians, our goal is always prevention first. Rotavirus vaccine is the cornerstone of our infant vaccination program because it prevents a common, miserable, and potentially dangerous disease. Before the vaccine, our emergency rooms saw a steady flow of dehydrated infants. Today, it is a largely preventable disease. We urge all parents to make sure their child gets this simple but life-saving protection,” Hackensack Meridian. says Stephen Hagman, MD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Hackensack University. Medical Center, and Professor of Pediatrics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
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