Rotavirus

Overview

  • Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children.
  • The virus can live on surfaces for months. It spreads when contaminated hands, toys, or other objects touch the mouth.
  • Common symptoms of rotavirus disease include high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Children often stop eating and drinking and become dehydrated (lose fluids). Around the world, rotavirus kills about a half million infants and young children every year.
  • Rotavirus is a very common disease in infants and young children. Almost all unvaccinated children get infected with rotavirus before they are 5 years old. Even if you wash your hands and keep everything really clean, your child can still get infected if not vaccinated.
  • Vaccination is the best way to prevent rotavirus.

Rotavirus Vaccine Schedule

Rotavirus Vaccine Schedule

You can protect your child from rotavirus with vaccination. All children should get 2 or 3 doses (depending on the brand) of rotavirus vaccine starting at 2 months of age. They should not get any doses after reaching 8 months of age. The vaccine is a liquid that is swallowed.

RESOURCES

Rotavirus: Questions and Answers

Information about the disease and vaccines, from Immunize.org.

Clear Answers and Smart Advice About Your Baby’s Shots

An excerpt from Baby 411 by Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, provides clearly written information about safe and effective vaccines.

Partner Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Rotavirus

Find fact sheets, resources, multimedia, and more for parents and children from CDC. Also see Rotavirus Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Vaccines for Your Children: Vaccine (Drops) for Rotavirus

Two or more doses of a rotavirus vaccine are recommended for children by doctors as the best way to protect against rotavirus. Learn more about meningococcal and vaccines from CDC. A Spanish-language version is also available.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
A Look at Each Vaccine: Rotavirus Vaccine

Questions and answers about rotavirus and vaccines from the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Rotavirus: What You Should Know

A rotavirus fact sheet and Q&A from the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. A Spanish-language version is also available.

Nemours KidsHealth logo
Rotavirus

About the infection, including signs and symptoms, contagiousness, prevention, incubation, duration, and treatment, from Nemours KidsHealth.

PERSONAL TESTIMONIES

Peete Family

Actress Holly Robinson Peete describes her experience as the mother of a toddler with rotavirus infection. While on a family vacation, Holly’s son became extremely ill with profuse vomiting and dehydration.

Read more.

Matthys Family

Brooke Matthys describes the painful realization that if only she had taken the time to get her children vaccinated against rotavirus, this ordeal for her family could have been prevented.

Read more.
View All Testimonies
ROTAVIRUS PHOTOS

Warning: Some of the images are graphic.

View All Rotavirus Photos