Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
10:49

Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus

Published on: January 28, 2019

Safety of rotavirus vaccine in the NICU

Heather M Monk1, Adam J Motsney2, Kelly C Wade3

  • 1Departments of Pharmacy Services and monk@email.chop.edu.

Pediatrics
|May 21, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Administering RotaTeq (RV5) to hospitalized infants is safe, with most post-vaccination symptoms linked to existing conditions. Unvaccinated infants showed a low risk of symptomatic rotavirus transmission, supporting inpatient vaccination for timely immunization.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal and Pediatric Medicine
  • Vaccinology
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Rotavirus vaccination is recommended upon discharge but often delayed for hospitalized infants.
  • Concerns exist regarding live attenuated rotavirus transmission within hospital settings.
  • Timely vaccination is crucial as infants become age-ineligible after 104 days of age.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety of RotaTeq (RV5) vaccination in hospitalized infants.
  • To compare outcomes between vaccinated infants (VI) and unvaccinated infants (UVI) in the NICU.
  • To evaluate the risk of rotavirus transmission from vaccinated to unvaccinated infants.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of vaccinated (VI) and unvaccinated infants (UVI) from 2008-2010.
  • UVI were selected geographically near VI within 15 days of vaccination.
  • Electronic medical record query (trigger tool) screened UVI for gastrointestinal symptoms; trigger-positive infants underwent full chart review.

Main Results:

  • Most vaccinated infants (76%) were asymptomatic or had unchanged symptoms post-RV5 vaccination.
  • No clinical status changes in vaccinated infants were directly attributed to RV5.
  • Unvaccinated infants showed a low rate (1.2%) of clinical status changes, primarily due to bacterial sepsis or existing GI pathology; no rotavirus transmission confirmed.

Conclusions:

  • RV5 vaccination is well-tolerated in hospitalized infants on enteral feeds.
  • Most post-vaccination symptoms in infants are attributable to pre-existing conditions.
  • Inpatient rotavirus vaccination ensures timely immunization for eligible infants and appears to pose a low transmission risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
infantpreterm infantrotavirusvaccine/immunization

More Related Videos

An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Micro-neutralization Assay09:14

An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Micro-neutralization Assay

Published on: January 26, 2019

Simplified Reverse Genetics Method to Recover Recombinant Rotaviruses Expressing Reporter Proteins11:40

Simplified Reverse Genetics Method to Recover Recombinant Rotaviruses Expressing Reporter Proteins

Published on: April 17, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Vaccinations01:51

Vaccinations

Overview
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Botulism01:22

Botulism

Botulism is a life-threatening neuroparalytic condition caused by botulinum neurotoxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, a Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobe.In adults, the toxin enters the body in different ways: in foodborne botulism, the preformed toxin is absorbed in the intestine. In wound botulism, spores grow in injured tissue and release the toxin into the blood. Infant botulism differs mechanistically from adult forms. In infants, botulism commonly...
Bacterial Gastroenteritis01:18

Bacterial Gastroenteritis

Bacterial gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting, is often caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and is frequently associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. These microbes exploit two principal mechanisms to inflict disease.Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, also referred to as STEC—notably O157:H7—release Shiga toxins that target ribosomes, blocking protein synthesis. The B subunit of the toxin binds the host glycolipid receptor...
Poliomyelitis01:17

Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis is caused by poliovirus, a small, non-enveloped, positive-sense RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family and Enterovirus genus. Transmission occurs primarily via the fecal-oral route, often through ingestion of contaminated water or food. The virus initially replicates in the oropharynx and intestinal mucosa, particularly in lymphoid tissues such as the tonsils, Peyer’s patches, and regional lymph nodes. Primary viremia follows, allowing dissemination throughout the body.In most...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...