The Rotarix Rotavirus vaccine by GlaxoSmithKline (approved by the FDA in 2008) is said to be contaminated with material from a pig virus. But good news is there is no evidence at this moment that this material poses a safety risks.

GlaxoSmithKline emphasized that the pig virus is not known to cause illness in humans, saying “it is found in everyday meat products and is frequently eaten with no resulting disease or illness.”

The suspension of used of Rotarix is currently applies only to the United States. Babies who have already received a dose of Rotarix should switch to the Merck product for the next two doses as suggest by the medical authority in the States. Merck’s RotaTeq (approved by the FDA in 2006) is another brand of the vaccine in the market besides Rotarix, and the preliminary testing of the Merck product has found no evidence of the contamination.

I just figured out that my younger boy was given the RotaTeq (my elder one didn’t get this vaccination as there was none when he was born), phew! Though it was said no need for alarm over Rotarix as there was no evidence that there is a risk to patients who have received this vaccine, but it is a relief to know that my boy was not given that!

Therefore if your baby is going to receive this vaccine, maybe you want to check it out with your pediatrician.

For detail information, you can refer to the following links:
CNN News on Rotavirus Vaccine
Statement from GSK
News on Today Online

The Rotavirus vaccine – RotaTeq or RotarixTM are oral, liquid vaccines. Rotavirus vaccine should be given at your infant’s 2 month, 4 month, and 6 month. The first dose of Rotavirus vaccine can be given between 6 and 12 weeks, with the next two doses be given at 4 to 10 week intervals, and the last dose being given by the time your baby is 32 weeks old.

Do take note that the last dosage of Rotavirus vaccine should be given by 8 month of age. I was told that after the age of 8 months, you cannot give Rotavirus vaccination to the baby anymore.

More detail information of Rotavirus vaccination can be found on Wikipedia.

So, we had him taken the fist jab at the age of 9 months, which is half of the dosage as recommended for babies. After that I do specifically check with the pediatrician when should I bring JQ for the second booster jab, and she told me no booster jab, one is enough. I’ve been reading information on seasonal flu vaccination before I decided to bring JQ for the jab, and the information I get is that for first timer who has never taken seasonal flu jab before, it should be 2 jabs with one month in between. But since the pediatrician said so, let it be as she should be the matter expert.

But when I visited JQ’s current pediatrician lately for his 3^rd Pneumococcal jab, she went through his vaccination records and she was so surprise that JQ only took one jab for the seasonal flu vaccination. She told me no matter babies or adults, as long as you are a first timer for seasonal flu jab, it has to be 2 jabs! But it’s way too late for JQ to get the second jab, as it is already after 5 months from his first jab.

Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now, but I hope is nothing serious. I’m sharing it here, so that if anyone of you, not just your children but adult as well, who plan to go for seasonal flu vaccination and is a first timer, you might want to double confirm with your doctor on this.

So you might want to check with your kids’ pediatrician and see what their opinion is. After all, what we want is just to give our precious little ones the best protection isn’t it? 

Just found out that there is this MMR booster @ age 4-5 years old which does not usually occurs in many of the recommendation chart, but I found this in JY & JQ’s current pediatrician’s chart. I asked her for details, and she told me supposedly children should take this booster jab at age 4½ years, but if we miss it, then they’ll be given the jab by government during standard 1 @ age 7 (and that’s why many pediatrician didn’t include this in their chart). But to her it is way too late for the booster jab at age 7. Well, you can check it out with your pediatrician if you are keen to know whether to take or not.

Besides the standard recommendation, I do think that young children should take the Pneumococcal Disease (PnD) vaccination too especially those preschool children attending daycare centre if affordable. Some detail information on Pneumococcal Disease posted in The Star. Furthermore, a study from Los Angeles Times | Health states that 30% of H1N1 Pneumonia related deaths are due to streptococcus pneumoniae!

My children has taken them, how about yours?