It all begins at the time of conception. Every decision a mother makes, is what is best for her baby. Find out how you can protect your baby from rotavirus & chickenpox, two commonly underestimated diseases.
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MY-ROT-00080 Jan/2021
According to Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, rotavirus and chickenpox vaccinations are often missed by parents. “Parents don’t even think about these vaccines because they are not listed in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP). However, both vaccines actually play a vital role in keeping children safe and healthy.”
Could you be taking rotavirus and chickenpox too lightly?
Datuk Zulkifli explains: “Rotavirus is very contagious[1]. It’s the leading cause of severe diarrhoea in children aged under 5 years worldwide[2]. Each year, rotavirus kills around 215,000 children globally and accounts for up to 50% of hospital admissions for diarrhoea[3],[4].”
He stresses that rotavirus infection can be very dangerous: “An infected child will present symptoms such as fever, vomiting and watery diarrhoea1. The rapid loss of fluid can lead to dehydration. If left untreated, death may occur. Infants are most at risk of becoming dehydrated due to their low body weight[5].”
“The first infection is most severe and does not lead to permanent immunity. Reinfection can occur at any age, but the subsequent infections will usually be less severe[6],” he says.
Like rotavirus, chickenpox is also a viral disease and it is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Datuk Zulkifli remarks: “Many parents think that chickenpox is not a big deal besides causing a few spots. However, they are not aware that chickenpox can cause complications or deaths, even in healthy children.
“Annually, there are around 4.2 million cases of severe complications leading to hospitalisation and 4,200 related deaths worldwide[7]. Complications include brain inflammation, bacterial infection of the skin, bloodstream infection and lung infection[8]. Scarring may also occur, especially in older children[9].”
He continues: “Being highly contagious, chickenpox spreads easily among children, especially in nurseries and pre-schools[10]. A natural infection usually provides lifelong immunity[10], but parents won’t be able to know in advance how severe the symptoms will be in their children, so it’s really not worth taking the risk.”
Datuk Zulkifli concludes: “It’s important to take preventive measures to protect children against these two diseases, and one of the ways is through vaccination.”
“I would tell parents not to be intimidated by the two vaccines. Think of both vaccinations as a series, that one leads to the next, since it’s recommended for children to receive the rotavirus vaccine as early as possible after 6 weeks of age, and then the chickenpox vaccine starting from 12 months old[11],[12].”
Currently in Malaysia, rotavirus and chickenpox vaccines are only available in private clinics. Click here to find your nearest clinic and talk to a paediatrician about rotavirus and chickenpox prevention for your child.
Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail is a consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist. He is currently the Immunise4Life Technical Committee Chairman and Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association. Datuk Zulkifli was also a past president of the Malaysian Paediatric Association. He previously served as the Head of Paediatrics in a university hospital. He has more than 35 publications in peer-reviewed international and local journals. In 2012, he was given the Outstanding Asian Paediatrician Award by the Asia Pacific Paediatric Association. Recently in 2019, Datuk Zulkifli was awarded the Vaccine Hero Award by Ministry of Health Malaysia.
MY-VVX-00013 06/19
References:
[1]Mayo Clinic. 2019. Rotavirus. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rotavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20351300 (Accessed on March 15, 2019)
[2]WHO. 2013. WHO Position Paper. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/wer/2013/wer8805.pdf?ua=1 (Accessed on March 15, 2019)
[3]WHO. 2018. Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/rotavirus/en/ (Accessed on March 15, 2019)
[4]Fischer, T. K., Bresee, J. S., & Glass, R. I. Rotavirus vaccines and the prevention of hospital-acquired diarrhea in children. Vaccine. 2004; 22S: S49-S54.
[5]NFID. n.d. Frequently Asked Questions About Rotavirus. http://www.nfid.org/idinfo/rotavirus/faqs.html (Accessed on March 11, 2019)
[6]CDC. 2018. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/rota.html (Accessed on March 15, 2019)
[7]WHO. 2014. Varicella and Herpes Zoster Vaccines: WHO Position Paper. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/wer/2014/wer8925.pdf?ua=1 (Accessed on 18 Apr 2019)
[8]CDC. 2018. Chickenpox Complications. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/about/complications.html (Accessed on 18 Apr 2019).
[9]Mayo Clinic. n.d. Chickenpox Diagnosis and Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chickenpox/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351287 (Accessed on 18 Apr 2019).
[10]Facts about chickenpox. Paediatrics & child health. 2005; 10(7): 413-4.
[11]WHO. n.d. Rotavirus. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/ith/vaccines/rotavirus/en/ (Accessed on April 29, 2019)
[12]WHO. n.d. Varicella. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/ith/vaccines/varicella/en/ (Accessed on April 29, 2019)
Dr Poo and his guests, babies Hani & Ben have something important to say to all the mummies out there. Tune in to find out more!
It was a Wednesday. Eight-month-old Daniel started to have a fever and began vomiting. Soon after, he developed watery green and foul-smelling diarrhoea[1]. Helpless, Daniel’s parents took him to the hospital. By the time the doctor saw Daniel, he had lost so much fluid.
Upon physical examination by the doctor, signs of dehydration were obvious: Daniel was pale, had sunken eyes, cried without tears and appeared lethargic[1]. He was placed on an IV drip immediately.
The doctor ordered a stool test. It came back positive for rotavirus.
Rotavirus gastroenteritis kills roughly 215,000 children under five around the world every year[4].
Daniel’s mom, Liza was sure her baby caught the rotavirus from his four-year-old sister, Rose. Two days ago, Rose, had the same symptoms.
Liza traced it back to Rose’s day-care centre and believed that was where it all began.
At the hospital, the doctor explained how the virus could have spread to Rose when she touched an object contaminated with infected stools, and unwittingly put her hand into her mouth[2]. Also, the virus can survive for weeks on surfaces[3], especially if the centre is not properly cleaned or sanitised.
According to Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, a consultant paediatrician and Immunise4Life Technical Committee Chairman, the above scenario is quite common. He explained that rotavirus is the most common and potentially lethal virus affecting infants and young children. Symptoms may include fever, nausea, vomiting and watery diarrhoea, which appear within two days of exposure to the virus.
He said, “Almost every child would have an episode of rotavirus gastroenteritis by the age of five years. But unlike some diseases, there is no specific treatment for rotavirus. So, when it happens, we can only try and manage the symptoms as best as we can.”
“Parents can reduce virus transmission by practising good personal and environmental hygiene like regular handwashing and sanitising frequently touched surfaces,” said Datuk Zulkifli.
“But these measures are not enough,” he added. “Parents should also talk to their doctors about immunising their child against rotavirus.”
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MY-ROT-00061 06/20
References:
[1] National Foundation for Infectious Diseases https://www.nfid.org/infectious-diseases/frequently-asked-questions-about-rotavirus/
[2]CDC. 2018. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/rota.html (Accessed on March 15, 2019)
[3]WebMD. n.d. What is Rotavirus? https://www.webmd.com/children/guide/what-is-rotavirus#1 (Accessed on March 13, 2019).
[4]WHO. 2018. Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/immunization/diseases/rotavirus/en/ (Accessed on March 15, 2019)
MY-VVX-00030 07/20
MY-ROT-00058 05/20
MY-VVX-00030 07/20
