For people with healthy immune systems, rotavirus gastroenteritis usually lasts for only a few days. However, the maker of the vaccine, Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines, a division of American Home Products Corp., voluntarily withdrew the vaccine from the market in October because of safety concerns. Wyeth said it was voluntarily recalling all remaining doses of its oral vaccine after studies suggested it was linked to bowel obstructions. About 1.5 million doses of the vaccine were given to infants before Wyeth suspended distribution in July. At that time, federal officials said they found about 15 cases of bowel obstruction known as intussusception in infants who received the vaccine.
Intussusception is when one part of the intestine folds in on itself.
By October, about 100 cases of intussusception had been identified. The bowel obstructions can cause vomiting, abdominal pain and bloody stools, and sometimes require surgery. The CDC has reassured parents that their children who received rotavirus vaccine before July and remained well are not at increased risk for intussusception now. Since severe diarrheal disease in children is an important public health concern, the CDC encourages parents to learn more about managing severe diarrhea in infants and children. For preschoolers in particular, the CDC encourages parents to teach their children the importance of hand washing with soap to reduce the spread of the disease.