For further advice on the transmission and prevention of rotavirus, visit NHS Inform.
Guidance
Guidance for health professionals can be found below:
- For more information on rotavirus immunisation, including updates, please refer to the Public Health England (PHE) Green Book, Chapter 27b.
- View the Rotavirus Vaccine Programme Information letter from Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
- NHS National Education for Scotland (NES) training slides and FAQs for professionals.
Members of the public can find rotavirus vaccine guidance on the NHS Inform website.
For all infection prevention and control guidance visit the A-Z pathogens section of the National Infection and Prevention Control Manual.
Publications
View 'Changing molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infection after introduction of monovalent rotavirus vaccination in Scotland' on the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website.
This laboratory-based surveillance study shows significant reduction in reported rotavirus cases and a shift in proportion from G1P[8] to G2P[4] strains after introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Scotland. The data will be used to ascertain cross protection against strains and identify vaccine-induced rotavirus strain shifts in the future.
Data and surveillance
Latest surveillance update
View the latest quarterly surveillance results and commentary.
Vaccination
Rotavirus vaccine
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants in the UK and most children will experience it before the age of five. Unlike in the developing world, rotavirus rarely causes death in the UK, however infection results in a significant number of hospital admissions for severe dehydration particularly in infants, where there's a risk of the infection spreading to other vulnerable patients. Additionally it causes an increased burden in primary care when services may be stretched with other seasonal infections such as influenza.
Rotavirus vaccine programmes have been in place prior to 2013 in a number of countries including:
- Australia
- Canada
- USA
The programmes have substantially reduced rotavirus related hospitalisations in young children.
A national rotavirus vaccination programme using the vaccine Rotarix® was introduced into the routine infant vaccination schedule in Scotland in July 2013, with approximately 93% vaccines uptake rate.
The vaccine provides protection against the most common strains of rotavirus, but not other enteric viruses such as norovirus.
Infants are offered two doses of the oral vaccine Rotarix®, which is a weakened form of virus which can't cause disease but which protects against rotavirus at an interval of least four weeks between doses: at eight weeks and again at 12 weeks.