There is a lot of misinformation about vaccines, so each month Texas Medicine magazine highlights a disease that childhood and adult immunizations can prevent. The material is designed to help you talk to your patients about the severity of these diseases and to help them understand the benefits of vaccines.
January’s magazine spotlights rotavirus, a highly contagious viral infection that inflames the lining of the stomach and intestines, and especially affects children 2 years old and younger.
Two vaccines — RotaTeq and Rotarix — are used in the United States today to protect children from rotavirus illness. They prevent about 40,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations among infants and young children each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. This success has a multiplier effect: As more children get vaccinated, they prevent the spread of rotavirus to other children and to adults.
For more information about talking to your patients about rotavirus, including a printable copy of the infographic below and a simple educational video, see the Texas Medical Association’s website.
Last Updated On
January 14, 2019
Originally Published On
January 14, 2019