Here are some questions that you may ask about rotavirus and RotaTeq. Remember, these questions and answers do not take the place of talking with your doctor or health care professional.

1. What is rotavirus?
It's a leading cause of severe diarrhea among infants and young children. Rotavirus is highly contagious. It can cause fever and multiple episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, and can quickly lead to dehydration (loss of body fluids). Rotavirus can be mild, moderate, or severe. While many infected children may have few or no symptoms, it can be difficult to predict which children will have severe cases. A severe case could send your child to the emergency room or your child may be hospitalized.

2. What is RotaTeq?
RotaTeq is a vaccine to help prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants. RotaTeq is not a shot—it is 3 oral doses. Your doctor or health care professional can give the first dose of RotaTeq to your baby as early as 6 weeks of age. The third dose should be given before 32 weeks of age.

3. Can RotaTeq help prevent rotavirus?
Yes, it can. In a large clinical trial, RotaTeq demonstrated 98% efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and 74% efficacy against rotavirus gastroenteritis of any severity through the first rotavirus season after vaccination. Also, infants who were vaccinated with RotaTeq were 94% less likely to visit an emergency room and 96% less likely to be hospitalized through the first 2 years after the third dose, due to the types of rotavirus targeted by the vaccine.

4. What should I tell my doctor before my baby is vaccinated?
There are some important things your doctor needs to know about your baby. Tell you doctor if your baby is sick with fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, or is not growing and gaining weight as expected. Tell your doctor if your baby or someone in regular close contact with your baby has a weakened immune system from a disease (like cancer, HIV/ AIDS, or a blood disorder) or from medicine (such as steroids). Also tell your doctor if your baby has received a blood transfusion or blood products recently or if he or she was born with gastrointestinal problems, had a blockage, or had abdominal surgery.

5. What important safety information should I know?
RotaTeq should not be given to infants who are allergic to any part of the vaccine.

Your child should not get RotaTeq if he or she has Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID).

The most common side effects reported after taking RotaTeq were diarrhea, vomiting, fever, runny nose, sore throat, wheezing or coughing, and ear infection. You can ask your health care professional for a more complete list of side effects.

Other reported side effects include: hives; Kawasaki disease (a serious condition that can affect the heart, symptoms may include fever, rash, red eyes, red mouth, swollen glands, swollen hands and feet, and if untreated, can be life threatening).

Call your child’s doctor or go to the emergency department right away if, following any dose of RotaTeq, your child has vomiting, diarrhea, severe stomach pain, blood in their stool or change in their bowel movements. These may be signs of a serious and life-threatening illness known as intussusception, which required immediate medical attention. Intussusception can occur when no vaccine has been given and the cause is usually unknown. Contact your doctor or go to the emergency department right away if your child has any symptoms of intussusception, even if it has been several weeks since the last vaccine dose.


Please read the Patient Product Information and discuss it with your doctor or health care professional. Also available is the physician Prescribing Information.

6. What should I do next?
Ask your health care professional about RotaTeq today. Please see the Patient Product Information on this site and discuss it with your doctor or health care professional.