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| Rotavirus is very easy to catch. In the United States, nearly all children are infected with rotavirus by 5 years of age. |
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| Rotavirus Is Highly Contagious |
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Rotavirus infections occur mostly during the winter and early spring. |
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Rotavirus is usually spread through contaminated hands or objects, and can remain on surfaces for a long time. |
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Only certain disinfectants can kill rotavirus; many common soaps don't work. |
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| Symptoms of Rotavirus |
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Rotavirus can cause fever and multiple episodes of vomiting and diarrhea that can last from 3 to 9 days, and can quickly lead to dehydration (loss of body fluids). |
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Rotavirus symptoms 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. |
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A severe case of rotavirus could send your child to the emergency room or your child may be hospitalized. |
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| Effect of Rotavirus |
| Every year in the United States, rotavirus is estimated to be responsible for up to 70,000 hospitalizations and approximately 250,000 emergency room visits among children younger than 5 years of age. |
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| You Can Help Protect Your Baby from Rotavirus |
| RotaTeq is a vaccine to help prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants. It was shown to help protect infants against the most common types of rotavirus. |
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Important Safety Information
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The most common side effects reported were diarrhea, vomiting, fever, runny nose, sore throat, wheezing or coughing, and ear infection. Ask your doctor or health care professional for a more complete list of side effects. Call your child's doctor right away if your child has vomiting, diarrhea, severe stomach pain, blood in their stool or change in their bowel movements, as these may be signs of a serious and life-threatening condition known as intussusception. It is important to contact your health care professional if your child has any of these symptoms at any time after vaccination. RotaTeq should not be given to infants who are allergic to any part of the vaccine.
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RotaTeq does not protect against diarrhea and vomiting that are caused by something other than rotavirus and it may not fully protect all children who get the vaccine. Also, if your child already has the virus it will not help protect them.
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Learn more about how a vaccine can help protect against rotavirus. |
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This site is intended only for residents of the United States, its territories, and Puerto Rico.
RotaTeq is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc.
20750349(1)-11/07-RTQ
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