JEDDAH, 1 June 2007 — Repeated TV and radio advertisements about the necessity of vaccination against Rotavirus have scared many parents forcing them to take their newborns to clinics for vaccinations.
Many parents panicked when they saw the large number of newborns at clinics waiting for their turn to take vaccines against the virus, which cost SR250.
A private company was behind the adverts, although the Ministry of Health did not issue a statement that there was an epidemic in the Kingdom.
“People knew about the vaccine because of the advertising campaign for the new vaccine,” said Dr. Abdul Fattah Mustafa, a pediatrician at the Ibn Sina Clinic. The vaccine costs the clinic SR218 and is given to patients at a cost of SR250.
“We had parents bringing their children, who are above six months, to get the vaccine although it is only for newborns, who are below six months,” he said, adding that the vaccine is expensive especially since it must be given twice and so costs parents SR500.
The Health Ministry, two weeks ago, began a study to check how severe the virus is and test its vaccinations.
The ministry will also decide whether there is a need to add it to the obligatory vaccines, which are given to newborns in the first year of their life and which are prerequisites to obtain birth certificates.
“The Health Ministry was not the source of the advertising campaign. A private company came up with the adverts,” said Khalid Marghalani, official spokesman at the Health Ministry.
Rotavirus is a viral infection in the small intestine and causes vomiting and severe diarrhea leading to dehydration. The virus is contagious and can be transmitted through contaminated uncovered food.
There are three degrees of the virus: simple, medium and severe. The medium and severe demand hospital attention. “The new vaccine helps to prevent the virus and not treat it,” said Dr. Khalid Danish, consultant of neonatology at the King Fahd Military Medical Complex.
He added that babies need to be admitted to hospital to be given liquids to compensate liquid loss.“The virus gets out of patients’ body through excretion and they get nurtured by IV serum and are unable to eat anything,” he added.
Dr. Danish warned parents from neglecting their children when suffering such symptoms and advised against herbal remedies that may cause negative side effects.
He further urged them to consult pediatricians and neonatologists.
“Negligence of children infected with the virus is really dangerous. Some parents give their children herbal drinks that have negative side effects,” he said, adding that the virus could affect adults as well but the danger is fatal to children below the age of one and even more dangerous to children below the age of six.
