Tag: administration

Why Can’t My 9-Month-Old Get the Rotavirus Vaccine?

The rotavirus vaccines are typically given when infants are two to six months old.

The first dose can be given as early as 6 weeks or as late as 15 weeks though.

The rotavirus vaccines are given between 6 weeks to 32 weeks.

And the final dose can be given as late 8 months (32 weeks).

Why Can’t My 9-Month-Old Get the Rotavirus Vaccine?

What happens if your child didn’t get their rotavirus vaccine on time?

While these vaccines are usually given on either a two and four month (Rotarix) or two, four, and six month (RotaTeq) schedule, as you can see above, there is some flexibility in that timing.

Still, the first dose of the rotavirus vaccine can’t be given any later than 15 weeks and the final dose can’t be given any later than 8 months though, so there is no way that a nine-month-old would be able to get vaccinated.

What would happen if your child did?

“Vaccination should not be initiated for infants aged 15 weeks and 0 days or older because of insufficient data on safety of dose 1 of rotavirus vaccine in older infants. The minimum interval between doses of rotavirus vaccine is 4 weeks; no maximum interval is set. All doses should be administered by age 8 months and 0 days.”

Prevention of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis Among Infants and Children Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

The rotavirus vaccines are only licensed at these specific ages, so were not studied in older infants and toddlers. If your 9-month-old did receive a rotavirus vaccine, it would be considered a vaccination error and should be reported.

So why not study them in older kids?

Since severe rotavirus infections mostly occur in younger children between the ages of 4 and 23 months, it doesn’t make any sense to wait until they are older to get them vaccinated.

“To minimize potential risk of intussusception, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that rotavirus immunization should be initiated by age 15 weeks and completed before age 32 weeks.”

Age restrictions for rotavirus vaccination: evidence-based analysis of rotavirus mortality reduction versus risk of fatal intussusception by mortality stratum

Also, although the risk is low, a small risk of intussusception after getting the rotavirus vaccine is thought to increase with increasing age of the first dose.

What does all of this mean?

It means that you should follow the immunization schedule and get your kids vaccinated and protected on time.

What to Know About Rotavirus Vaccine Timing

Don’t delay getting your child’s rotavirus vaccine or you may not be able to get it at all, as unlike most other vaccines, these vaccines have strict upper limits for when they can be given.

More on Rotavirus Vaccine Timing