RotaTeq® is a vaccine that can help prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children in industrialized and developing countries. It’s a viral infection of the digestive tract and a major cause of gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines which causes diarrhea and vomiting).
Rotavirus is a disease affecting over 95% of infants and young children around the world by the time they are 5 years old. In Canada, it is estimated that about 35% of children with rotavirus gastroenteritis see a physician, 15% visit an emergency department and 7% require hospitalization. A study showed that approximately 78% of gastroenteritis episodes in young hospitalized children during the peak winter-spring months were due to rotavirus. |
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Your child will receive 3 doses of the vaccine. The first dose of RotaTeq® should be administered at 6 to 12 weeks of age and the following doses should be given at an interval of 4 to 10 weeks between each dose. The last (third) dose should be given to your child by 32 weeks of age.
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Rotavirus can cause mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. There is no reliable way to predict which children will have serious cases. |
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Rotavirus can cause high fever, and in severe cases, can cause multiple episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, and lead to dehydration (loss of body fluids). |
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Children hospitalized for rotavirus-induced diarrhea are more likely to have vomiting, severe dehydration and a longer hospital stay than children hospitalized for diarrhea because of other reasons. These gastro-intestinal symptoms, in severe cases, can lead to a dangerous loss of body fluids, putting an infant at serious risk of severe, life-threatening dehydration, in some cases. |
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RotaTeq® is available to help protect your child against rotavirus infection. Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional today about RotaTeq®. |
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| Important Safety Information |
As with other vaccines, RotaTeq® may not fully protect all those who get it. RotaTeq® helps prevent, but does not treat, rotavirus gastroenteritis. Allergic reactions may occur. It should not be given to children who are allergic to any ingredients of the vaccine. Like all vaccines, RotaTeq® may have side effects. The side effects of RotaTeq® are usually mild and do not last long. Side effects reported were diarrhea, vomiting, fever, runny nose and sore throat, wheezing or coughing and ear infection. Other reported side effects include hives. These are not all the possible side effects of RotaTeq®. Before your baby gets RotaTeq®, talk to your physician or pharmacist if he or she has any illness with fever; has diarrhea or is vomiting; has not been gaining weight; is not growing as expected; has a blood disorder; has any type of cancer; has an immune system that is weakened (this includes HIV infection or AIDS); gets treatment or takes medicines that may weaken the immune system; was born with gastrointestinal problems or has had an intestinal blockage; has regular close contact with a member of the family who has a weakened immune system.
Please read the Patient Product Information and discuss it with your doctor or healthcare professional. Also available is the physician Prescribing Information.
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This site is intended for residents of Canada.
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08-11-RTQ-10-CDN-84120523-WEB |
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