Contents
The rotavirus, responsible for gastroenteritis, infects almost 100% of children in France before the age of two. Two vaccines, Rotarix and RotaTeq, are recommended by the High Council of Public Health in order to fight against this virus which can be very dangerous for our infants, causing vomiting, diarrhea and fever. Around 1 in 50 children must even be hospitalized for severe dehydration. But dramatic cases of intussusception have damaged the reputation of these vaccines. Explanations from Dr. Robert Cohen, pediatric infectious disease specialist.
Rotavirus vaccination: what are the risks and side effects?
Parents: These two newborns, recently vaccinated against gastroenteritis, died following intussusception. What is it exactly?
Robert Cohen : Intussusception is a very rare disease. It occurs spontaneously, that is to say without vaccination, in about 50 infants per year out of 100 births. This disease is manifested by abdominal pain, vomiting, presence of blood in the stool, abdominal bloating and / or high fever. It heals very quickly and does not cause any sequelae if it is diagnosed early, after 24 to 48 hours after the appearance of the first symptoms. But if the diagnosis is delayed, the outcome is sometimes fatal.
RC : We realized after the marketing of these vaccines against gastroenteritis that they increased the risk of acute intussusception. One of the avenues for explaining this mechanism is that the stimulation of the immune system caused by the vaccine product, which is oral, it should be remembered, leads to an increase in the volume of the glands of the intestine. This can interfere with its functioning and cause complications, including intussusception. This potentially very serious side effect has been known for several years, but it is fortunately very rare (less than 1 in 10 vaccinated).
Rotarix or Rotateq: for or against?
Parents: In this context, do you think that these vaccines should be banned?
RC : I think we have to be careful and not fall into the media escalation, nor anxious parents unnecessarily. For now, the benefit / risk ratio of vaccines against rotavirus infections has been evaluated and is favorable. In November 2013, the HCSP also recommended these vaccines when the risks were already known. However, it should be noted that rotavirus gastroenteritis can be very severe. They are responsible in France for about 14 annual hospitalizations of children under the age of 000, an estimated number of deaths between 7 to 17 per year. And they generate 200 to 250 consultations per year …
Parents: Doesn’t the problem lie in the information on the risk of acute intussusception, which is not sufficient?
RC : These dramatic cases are indeed calling into question our healthcare system. These newborns died because they were not diagnosed early enough. How is it possible ? Why were they not taken care of at the onset of the first signs of the disease? It is certain that parents are not sufficiently informed of these dangers. It is imperative that information on the risk of acute intussusception be systematically provided by physicians to parents of vaccinated children.
Vaccination: what are the 11 compulsory vaccines for babies?
If some vaccines are simply recommended by the High Council of Public Health in France, such as that against rotavirus, others are obligatory for our child to live in community and go to nursery and school. These are those against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, measles- mumps- rubella (combined MMR vaccine), haemophilus Influenza type B, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, and meningococcus type C.