Last week I visited my 2-month-old granddaughter, who had an appointment for her first immunisation including the new Rotavirus vaccine. My son and daughter-in-law found out that I should not be in contact with her for 14 days afterwards as the baby is given a dose of live virus.
Fortunately her immunisation could be rescheduled for the day after my visit ended.
I’m sure many of us who are on chemo have regular contact with small babies, so this needs to be widely known!
The potential dangers regarding live vaccines also apply to other immunisations - MMR and BCG if I remember correctly - and I think BreastCancerCare should provide a leaflet explaining the precise degree of risk, which is not clear from the official documents that I have found (see my next post).
EDIT - oops, sorry, BCG is bacterial, not viral!.. aaaarrgghh, chemo brain…
Official announcement (mentions “September 2013”!)
gov.uk/government/news/new-vaccine-to-help-protect-babies-against-rotavirus
Guidance document
gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224169/Rotavirus_Q_and_As_for_healthcare_practitioners_v4_26_July_2013.pdf
See also
gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation
NHS Choices
nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/rotavirus-vaccine.aspx
NetDoctor
netdoctor.co.uk/childrens-health/medicines/rotarix.html
“Protecting your baby” leaflet
nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Documents/Protecting%20your%20baby%20against%20rotavirus.pdf
Standard patient information leaflet
services.medicines.org.uk/assethosting/assets/printable/r/o/rotarix/printable.2669_1486_5036.pdf
Apologies on behalf of the current Forum software (grr) if the longer links don’t display correctly.
Hi Mrsblue
I will pass you comments onto the appropriate team at BCC.
Many thanks
June
Thanks June. But my post needs editing (Leah knew what to do…) When I try to edit, I can view the underlined links but they still don’t display the correct webpage when clicked on! - except for NetDoctor which works ok)
I am cutting and pasting the links from Notepad on my PC.
Quote from Cancer Research UK website says:
I am having chemotherapy treatment and have been in contact with a child who has just been immunised with a pre school booster.]
Is there any risk to me?
There is no risk at all to you from any child who has been vaccinated in the UK. This applies to all childhood vaccines, including polio, MMR, diptheria, whooping cough, tetanus or BCG (for tuberculosis).
Immunisation means gaining immunity against disease, usually from a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate your body’s natural defences (immune system) to stop you from getting particular infections. If you are having chemotherapy
your immune system is affected because you have fewer white blood cells circulating in your body.
White blood cells are one of our main defences against infection.
You should not have immunisations with live vaccines while you are having chemotherapy or for at least
6 months afterwards. In the UK, these include rubella, mumps, measles (usually given together as MMR),
BCG and yellow fever. You can have other vaccines, but they may not give you as much protection as usual until your immune system has fully recovered from your chemotherapy.
I hope this clarifies the situation.
Poemsgalore
Thanks, Poemsgalore!
Looking on the CRUK website I found this page:
cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/cancer-questions/immunisations-and-chemotherapy
which (a) is out of date - no mention of Rotavirus (which is only given to babies anyway, so it would not be included in a pre-school booster)
and (b) is factually incorrect - “There can be problems with oral vaccines, but not many people in the UK have oral vaccines now” - but the rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix) is an oral vaccine.
Come on BCC, let’s have a helpful response please.
Hello mrsblue,
Sorry for the continued problems with links here - I’ve just whizzed through and fixed those. They still look a bit untidy on the page, but should now click through to the correct site, at least!
In terms of your original question, our team got in touch with GlaxoSmithKline UK about recommendations regarding contact between recent vaccinees with Rotarix (the rotavirus vaccine) and immunodeficient close contacts. They also reviewed a new chapter in the Green Book (page 337), used by all GP Practices in the UK, relating to Rotavirus.
In view of the available information in the links below, it seems it would be appropriate for immunocompromised individuals (e.g. patients receiving chemotherapy) to avoid contact with recent vaccinees, or to observe very careful personal hygiene if contact occurs, for up to 14 days following vaccination:
medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/17840
gov.uk/government/publications/rotavirus-the-green-book-chapter-27b
Our Publishing team are aware of this thread and they’ll keep a note to include information on this topic in the review of our Chemotherapy booklet which will take place later this year.
If anyone would like to talk this through further, please do contact our helpline: 0808 800 6000.
I hope this helps, all.
HelenL
Thank you, HelenL - for your response, for links to two further documents, and for fixing the links I’d posted - they all work correctly now (for me, anyway).
I am glad to know that BCC will include rotavirus in its planned update of information on chemotherapy.
One puzzle - I can’t find anything in the Green Book chapter about advising immunosuppressed adults to avoid contact!
My next step will be to ask my GP and my hospital if they are rotavirus-aware.