Rotavirus vaccination made compulsory for all babies in the UAE

The Ministry of Health Wednesday announced that the rotavirus vaccine was to become part of the national immunisation schedule, a move that will cut costly visits to emergency rooms.

ABU DHABI // All babies will be vaccinated against a potentially deadly virus that causes gastroenteritis.

It is a move that will reduce costly visits to hospital emergency rooms, experts say.

The Ministry of Health Wednesday announced that the rotavirus vaccine was to become part of the national immunisation schedule.

Rotavirus causes diarrhoea, vomiting, severe dehydration, fever and even organ failure.

The moves to make vaccinations mandatory follow a similar step by the Heath Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad) in June last year to make the vaccine part of its childhood immunisation schedule.

“It will impact on the economy of the whole country,” said Dr Hossam Al Tatari, the division chief of paediatric infectious diseases at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain.

“What we hope to get from the vaccine is a reduction in ER visits and a significant reduction in hospital admissions. All of that is going to translate into saving of money for the Government, and saving parents lots of sick days spending time with their kids in hospital.”

The rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis – an inflammation of the upper and middle gastrointestinal tract that is transmitted through hand-to-mouth contact with contaminated surfaces.

“Although we don’t see mortality here, there have been deaths because of severe dehydration,” said Dr Al Tatari.

Children under five, especially those between six months and two years, are most vulnerable to the disease, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.

Half a million child deaths worldwide are caused by the rotavirus every year and the announcement was made as the WHO’s World Immunisation Week concluded Wednesday.

Dr Al Tatari said the immunisations would greatly reduce the risk of children contracting the disease. Other countries have reported significant success after similar rollouts, he said.

“Some countries have decreased the rate of admission [for gastroenteritis] by 80 per cent,” said the Canadian expatriate.

Dr Medhat Abu Shaaban, a consultant in paediatrics and allergy at My Pedia Clinic in Dubai Healthcare City, also welcomed the move.

“It is news to celebrate really,” he said. “It is amazing. Rotavirus is one of the serious viruses causing gastroenteritis. This is really one of the nasty viruses and it can have very harmful consequences for babies and infants. I really commend the Ministry of Health for taking this very, very positive step.”

While the vaccine does not offer full protection, it “can greatly reduce the risk of contracting the illness”, he said.

“I would say about 20 per cent get complications,” he said. “One of them is dehydration, which can require intravenous therapy.

“So this will definitely reduce the number of visits to the paediatricians, to the emergency room and to hospitals,” he said.

The 57-year-old Jordanian said the announcement does not just benefit babies but will prevent parents having to take leave from work to care for their children.

Unicef, the UN’s children’s body, said that if all children in the world got the available childhood vaccines by 2020, then 25 million lives would be saved.

The UAE is one of the leading countries in improving immunisation programmes, said Dr Hussein Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for health centres and clinics at the MoH.

The country has eradicated several targeted infectious diseases including chickenpox, polio, neonatal tetanus, measles and rubella and controlled infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

The rotavirus vaccine is usually made available in two doses. The first is recommended when a baby reaches two months and no later than 14 weeks and six days – and then when the child is four months.