| Your doctor or healthcare professional can give the first dose of RotaTeq® to your baby as early as 6 weeks of age. Your child may get RotaTeq® at the same time as other childhood vaccines. |
| When to Vaccinate |
The first dose of RotaTeq® is given when your child is 6 to 12 weeks of age, the second dose is given 4 to 10 weeks later, and the third dose is given 4 to 10 weeks after the second dose. The last (third) dose should be given to your child by 32 weeks (8 months) of age.
Your child should not get RotaTeq® if he or she had an allergic reaction after getting a dose of this vaccine. Your child also should not get the vaccine if he or she is allergic to any of the ingredients of the vaccine. |
| How RotaTeq® Is Given |
Your doctor or healthcare professional will gently squeeze the vaccine into your child's mouth. Your infant may spit out some or all of it. If this happens, the dose does not need to be given again during that visit.
Please read Important Safety Information for RotaTeq. |
| Missing a Dose |
| All three doses of the vaccine should be given to your child by 32 weeks (8 months) of age. Your doctor or healthcare professional will tell you when your child should come for the follow-up doses. It is important to keep those appointments. If you forget or are not able to go back to the planned time, ask your doctor or healthcare professional for advice. |
| Is Rotavirus Serious? |
Some children will be asymptomatic or have very few symptoms, while others may have severe cases. Dehydration is the most serious complication associated with rotavirus infection.
What are the signs and symptoms of rotavirus? |
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Typically, rotavirus causes vomiting, fever, abdominal pain and profuse, watery diarrhea. |
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In severe cases, more than 20 diarrhea stools or vomiting episodes in 24 hours is not uncommon, with episodes of diarrhea lasting for 4 to 5 days. |
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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 gastrointestinal 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. |
| Talk to Your Doctor or Healthcare Professional |
There are ways to help protect your baby against rotavirus. Ask your doctor or healthcare professional about RotaTeq® today.
> Learn how to start a conversation with your child's doctor or
healthcare professional. |
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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.
® Registered Trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Used under license.
08-11-RTQ-10-CDN-84120523-WEB |
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Rotavirus infects almost every child in Canada by 5 years
of age. |
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