The rotavirus vaccine will be included in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) if the mortality rate due to the disease for children aged five years and below exceeds 10 percent.
Director-general of Health, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the World Health Organisation (WHO) through its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts had recommended that the rotavirus vaccine be included in the NIP if the child mortality rate due to diarrhoea was at 10 percent or more.
"In this country, the child mortality rate in 2014 was 0.5 percent and 2.9 per cent last year. This rate is below the recommended percentage by the WHO," he told Bernama.
As such, Dr Noor Hisham said as part of precautionary measures, the rotavirus vaccine could be obtained at private clinics and hospitals.
Consultant Paediatric at Pantai Hospital, Ampang, Dr R. Thanasegar said it would usually take two days for the symptoms of the disease such as high fever, diarrhea and persistent abdominal pain to occur.
There were five species of rotavirus and the rotavirus A type was a major cause of the disease among children and the first infection could build up immunity to that specific virus.
"Almost every child aged five years and below may have experienced this viral infection which can be detected through tests carried out on stool samples of patients," he said.
Thanasegar said to prevent the virus from spreading, the public should prioritise personal hygiene and the surrounding, especially children's toys and during food preparation.
"There is no specific treatment to kill the virus, but what is important is to ensure that patients have adequate water content in the body to prevent dehydration (through vomiting and severe diarrhea).
"In this country, the Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhea which requires children to receive the transfusion of water treatment through their intravenous at hospitals," he added. -- BERNAMA
Bernama
Thu Oct 20 2016
Rotavirus causes infection of the stomach and intestines and often strike children under five years-old, with symptoms of diarrhoea and abdominal pain. - Source Wikipedia
Bintang 'Spider-Man' Tom Holland zahir hasrat kahwini aktres Zendaya
Bintang Spider-Man itu dikatakan sudah berbincang dengan Zendaya untuk berkahwin.
Kertas siasatan 10 individu berkait lelaki Israel dirujuk AGC minggu ini - KP KL
Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa berkata, perbincangan akan diadakan bagi membuat keputusan terhadap tindakan lanjut yang akan dikenakan terhadap suspek terlibat.
Raja Charles III kembali jalani tugas awam selepas rawatan kanser
Raja Britain, Raja Charles III kembali menjalankan tugas awam selepas kesan positif rawatan kansernya.
LHDN pergiat ‘buru’ syarikat, individu culas bayar cukai
Ujar beliau, LHDN sentiasa memantau data-data sedia ada untuk tindakan sewajarnya.
Program Jelajah Siswa antara pengisian Hawana 2024
Sambutan Hari Wartawan Nasional (Hawana) 2024 pada Mei ini buat julung kalinya akan menyaksikan penglibatan pelajar jurusan komunikasi menerusi Program Jelajah Siswa.
[KEMAS KINI] SPRM ambil keterangan, MB Perlis tegaskan tidak direman
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) mengesahkan mengambil keterangan Maenteri Besar Perlis kira-kira jam 10 pagi tadi.
Bekas isteri Safee Sali fail tuntutan balas nusyuz
Sebutan semula kes bagi menjawab tuntutan itu oleh plantif ditetapkan pada 11 Jun depan.
Polis selamat mangsa pemerdagangan orang dipaksa bekerja di kelab malam
Polis berjaya menyelamatkan empat wanita warga Filipina yang dipercayai menjadi mangsa pemerdagangan orang.
Pengasas maahad tahfiz didakwa di mahkamah kes liwat pelajar
Tertuduh didakwa meliwat tiga pelajar berusia antara 12 hingga 15 tahun manakala dua daripada mereka merupakan mangsa yang sama.
Pelajar UCLA dakwa universiti lepas tangan
Sebagai pelajar di antara puluhan kampus yang membantah serangan di Gaza, Isabelle Friedman yang memimpin akhbar bebas pelajar UCLA berbicara mengenai cabaran kehidupan harian pelajar dan memberikan liputan berita yang seimbang ketika protes terus meningkat.