HealthFirst-RotaTeq vaccine usage

UNDATED (WJRT) (WJRT) -- (02/14/07)-- The FDA is warning parents and pediatricians about potentially life-threatening complications related to a vaccine given to millions of newborns.

The RotaTeq vaccine protects against Rotavirus.

Leslie LoBue has more on that and why a Hurley doctor wants to make sure parent's don't worry.

According to a public health notice on the FDA's Web site, 28 cases of intussuseption, or twisting of the intestines, are linked to the RotaTeq vaccine.

This very same problem led the FDA to call for the withdrawal of the first rotavirus vaccine around eight years ago.

Dr. Walid Abuhammour, the Director of Hurley Pediatric Infectious Diseases, urges parents to keep this in perspective.

While 28 children have come down with the twisted intestines, tens of thousands more have had the RotaTeq vaccine with no problems. RotaTeq is also the only vaccine against Rotavirus,  which is a serious, and sometimes deadly, virus.

Hurley is one of five centers nationwide that took part in RotaTeq clinical trials,  which had no reported cases of intussuseption.

In their website warning, the CDC is calling on doctors to report any cases of intussusception and to warn patients about the potential risk.

Dr. Abuhammour says symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, or any changes in the child's stools.

For more information on the RotaTeq vaccine, go to the FDA Web site.

In other health news for your kids today, experts are now saying it is okay to use Flumist on infants. The inhaled version of the flu vaccine may spare kids a date with the needle.

Just last year, the CDC added the recommendation that kids six months to five years get vaccinated.

Until now, the Flumist nasal vaccine was only suggested for adults.

Studies do show possible problems for kids one year and under, so your the nasal vaccine is not recommended for kids under a year old.

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