Rotavirus cases rise on Long Island, doctors urge infant vaccination

Rotavirus has been climbing earlier than usual across Long Island, and pediatricians are warning Suffolk County parents that a baby with sudden vomiting and watery diarrhea can slide into dehydration fast enough to need intravenous fluids. CDC surveillance found 7.3% of 2,329 rotavirus tests were positive in the week ending April 4, topping last year’s peak of 6.77%.

The virus hits hardest in children ages 3 to 35 months, and without vaccination nearly every child is infected by age 5. Parents should watch for dry mouth, no tears, fewer wet diapers, sunken eyes, unusual sleepiness, weakness, or a child who cannot keep fluids down. One New York case showed how fast it can change a family’s day: Ben Lopman’s 18-month-old son went from energetic to totally listless in 48 hours.

Rotavirus spreads through contaminated hands, surfaces, food, and water, and the infection dose can be tiny, fewer than 100 virus particles. That makes homes, childcare centers, and shared bathrooms especially risky in Suffolk County and across the New York City metropolitan area. A child who is repeatedly vomiting, has ongoing diarrhea, or seems too tired to drink is no longer dealing with a routine stomach bug; that is the point when a pediatrician should be called and, if dehydration is obvious, the emergency room becomes the right move.

Vaccination remains the best protection. The United States has two approved infant rotavirus vaccines, given as either a 2-dose or 3-dose series depending on the brand, with the first dose due before 15 weeks of age and all doses completed before 8 months. Children who are moderately or severely ill, including those with active vomiting or diarrhea, should wait until recovery before getting the shot. CDC estimates the vaccine prevents 40,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations each year and provides 85% to 98% protection against severe illness and hospitalization in an infant’s first year.

The rise began in January, stretching the rotavirus season longer than usual, and that timing matters for Suffolk families heading into spring childcare and sibling-to-sibling spread. Before vaccines were introduced in 2006, rotavirus was the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide and caused nearly 500,000 deaths a year among young children. Since then, U.S. hospitalizations in children under 5 have fallen by 85% to 90%, a reminder that the fastest way to keep a vomiting bug from becoming an ER visit is to make sure the infant vaccine series is up to date.