Rotavirus is a vaccine-preventable cause of acute, viral gastroenteritis typically characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Prior to rotavirus vaccine introduction, nearly all children worldwide had been infected by 5 years of age. Severe rotavirus gastroenteritis causes dehydration and electrolyte derangements, and infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to seasonal outbreaks due to high communicability and initial infection severity. While rotavirus vaccination has significantly decreased hospitalization of infants with rotavirus infections, recognition and management of rotavirus infections are still important for hospitalists, particularly with the January 2026 Centers for Disease Prevention and Control's vaccine recommendation changes.
Thetford et al. (Tue,) studied this question.