- Rotavirus
- Vaccine Recommendations
According to the package inserts the maximum age for a dose of RotaTeq is 32 weeks and the maximum age for Rotarix is 24 weeks. According to ACIP recommendations the maximum age for a dose of rotavirus vaccine is 8 months 0 days. Eight months 0 days is older than age 24 weeks and may be older than age 32 weeks. Should I follow the package labels or the ACIP recommendation?
ACIP recommendations and package inserts do not always match. Occasionally, ACIP may use different data to formulate its recommendations, or try to add flexibility to its recommendations (as was the case in this situation), which results in a recommendation different than the package insert. Published recommendations of national advisory groups (such as ACIP or AAP’s Committee on Infectious Diseases) should be considered equally as authoritative as those on the package insert. You should consider 8 months 0 days as the maximum age for a dose of rotavirus vaccine.