2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
1 Update on General Medicine
Chapter 12: Preventive Medicine
Immunization
Rotavirus
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, is the most common cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in children and infants worldwide. In the United States, 2 live-attenuated oral rotavirus vaccines are available: 1 based on a bovine rotavirus strain, and 1 an attenuated human rotavirus. Three oral doses of the bovine strain are given to infants at 2, 4, and 6 months of age; alternately, 2 doses of the attenuated human vaccine are given at 2 and 4 months of age. The vaccine is not recommended in children with a history of intussusception or children receiving high-level immunosuppressive therapies.
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Cortese MM, Parashar UD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis among infants and children: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2009;58(RR-2):1–25.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 1 - Update on General Medicine. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.