New Rotavirus vaccine for infants from next month

Only children born in the month of March 2014 will be eligible for the oral vaccine since the first dose should be given at the age of two months.

Asma Ali Zain

Published: Fri 2 May 2014, 12:54 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 8:57 PM

Starting next month, the Ministry of Health (MoH) will include the Rotavirus vaccine for children in its National Immunisation Programme.

Only children born in the month of March 2014 will be eligible for the oral vaccine since the first dose should be given at the age of two months. The second dose is due at four months of age.

Symptoms

> Infection with the virus can cause vomiting and up to 20 episodes of watery diarrhoea daily as well as fever, all of which can lead to extreme dehydration

> Rotavirus infection is the most common and severe in infants in the age group of 3-36 months

Rotavirus is highly contagious and causes gastroenteritis in young children that can sometimes lead to death due to dehydration.

The vaccine announcement was made during an event held on Wednesday to mark World Health Organisation’s Immunisation Week. Abu Dhabi introduced the vaccine last year and the MoH has purchased 70,000 vaccines for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

According to statistics from the Health Authority — Abu Dhabi, 30-70 per cent of gastroenteritis cases among children are caused by Rotavirus mostly in the months of November to March. “The peak age when the virus affects children is between 6 and 24 years,” said Dr Mohammed Miqdady, chief pediatrician and gastroenterologist at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi.

He also said that 64 per cent children in Abu Dhabi were given antibiotics for treatment of gastroenteritis. “This percentage should be close to zero,” said the doctor.

“The younger the child, the severe the diarrhoea,” he said, adding that transmission of the virus was easy.

The event was opened by Dr Hussein Mohammed Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics.

“Immunisation is the best and safest way to protect children from infectious diseases,” said Dr Al Rand.

The UAE’s programme includes children less than five years, school students, adults, passengers, blue-collar workers as well as categories that are exposed to workplace dangers.

“The UAE managed to eradicate a number of targeted infectious diseases, such as chicken pox, polio, neo-natal tetanus, measles and rubella, and control infectious diseases like tuberculosis and those affecting children,” he added.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com