FDA: Administering rotavirus vaccines 'appropriate'

SILVER SPRING, Md. It is “appropriate” for healthcare professionals to continue use of GlaxoSmithKline’s rotavirus vaccine Rotarix and to continue using Merck’s RotaTeq, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

The FDA said it revised its recommendations for rotavirus vaccines, used to prevent gastroenteritis in infants. The decision was based on reviews of lab results and scientific literature and input from scientific and public health experts, the agency said.

The FDA also said it reached the conclusion that both vaccines have strong safety records and that despite the possible presence of porcine circovirus in some vaccine supplies, the virus does not pose a safety risk in humans and is not known to cause infection or illness.