Rotarix Dosing for Infants per NHS UK
Rotarix is administered as a 2-dose oral series, with each dose being 1.5 mL given at 2 months and 3 months of age according to the UK immunization schedule. 1
Dosing Schedule
- The NHS UK administers Rotarix at 2 and 3 months of age, which differs from the US schedule of 2 and 4 months 1
- Each dose consists of 1.5 mL of oral liquid administered directly into the infant's mouth 2
- The minimum interval between doses is 4 weeks 2, 3
Critical Age Restrictions
- The first dose must be given between 6 weeks and 14 weeks, 6 days of age - vaccination should not be initiated after this window 3, 4
- All doses must be completed by 8 months, 0 days of age (though the UK typically completes the series by 3 months) 2, 3, 4
- The minimum age for the first dose is 6 weeks 2
Administration Details
- Rotarix is supplied as a liquid requiring no reconstitution 2
- The vaccine should be administered orally, not injected 2
- Rotarix may be given concurrently with other routine infant vaccines including DTaP, Hib, IPV, hepatitis B, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 2
Important Clinical Considerations
- Use chronological age from birth, not corrected age for preterm infants - this may cause some preterm infants to age out of eligibility before being clinically stable enough to vaccinate 3
- If an infant misses the age window, do not attempt "catch-up" vaccination as there is no catch-up schedule for rotavirus vaccines 3, 4
- The vaccine has demonstrated 90-92% uptake rates in the UK with an 82% reduction in laboratory-confirmed rotavirus cases following program introduction 1