Rotarix (against rotavirus) - anyone has any experience?

[murcimari]

Currently pregnant with baby No2, and due to very bad experiences with DD, we're thinking of giving our newborn this oral injection. However, we're yet to hear from someone who's had experience of giving Rotarix to their child. I know it's a fairly new thing in this country, but still...
Our GP and nurse are ever so helpful, but would like to hear some real life stories before we make up our mind. Anyone?

My dd aged 2 had rotavirus and was admitted into hospital for a few days. I haven't heard of this injection though. Neither of my other children have had it.

where are you? Non-UK?
not heard of it but sounds interesting - by 'oral injection' do you mean a live-virus vaccine like the old polio one that you used to get as drops on a sugar cube?

Did DD have rotavirus badly?

not heard/been called for it?

[done a bit of research now]

Tis indeed v new and sounds pretty good as vaccines go. Not sure how long it'll be on offer generally in th UK for as a couple of studies say it's not v cost-effective to give to all babies here, but it does sound like a good idea if, for example, you travel to developing countries with both kids regularly to see family etc.

Let me know what you find out as there's a chance we may be taking the new Cub to Pakistan for a month or two at 4mo.

Sorry, should have been more clear...it's available in this country, and in other EU countries too, but NOT on the NHS ...it's about £30 per vaccine and has to be administered by the time your baby is 6 months old, preferable earlier. It's fairly new, yet they say it's safe. However, when I asked my GP, she couldn't really give me any succession rate figures, etc.
If interested, ask your surgery about it. I have only come across it after I did some serious research on the internet...DD is only 19 months but had this nasty V&D bug twice now ...there is nothing we can do about her now, but hoping to help our newborn.

success rate in the studies I saw was 75-95%, so not perfect but not bad, and safety data was reassuring.

No guarantee that what your DD had was rota though...

£30 isn't much though.

True, no guarantee...but there is/was no way of finding out, as in this country they don't take stool specimen for examination - as they would have done so in my country of origin for example...
However, as the rotavirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in most European countries, I think it's worth a shot. 75-95% success rate sounds quite promising! However, the fact that I still haven't found a single soul who had it given to their child is far more discouraging/worrying .

I think the fact that you can't find anyone who's given it to their child is mostly due to the fact no-one's heard of it!

For what it's worth children hospitalised with D&V normally do get a test - I spent six months in a smelly lab doing them...