Rotavirus Vaccines Are Safe and Effective: So Why Aren't All Children Protected?
Per the article in Pediatrics, vol. 158, issue 1, July 2026, by Jessica R. Cataldi, MD, MSCS, et al. This author succinctly stated the need for giving your child the rotavirus vaccine. Taken directly from said article below:
"Despite suboptimal vaccination coverage, the progress that has been made in rotavirus vaccination has led to dramatic decreases in rotavirus hospitalizations in the United States. Prior to widespread use of rotavirus vaccines, 55,000 to 70,000 infants were hospitalized annually, with 50 to 100 deaths. In recent years, thanks to widespread vaccination, hospitalizations due to rotavirus have dropped by roughly 80%, and deaths are exceedingly rare. Population-level benefits have also been noted, and costs from rotavirus hospitalization have greatly decreased."
Prevention of Drowning: Policy Statement
Rohit P. Shenoi, MD, FAAP, et al. showed in Pediatrics, vol. 158, issue 1, July 2026, best practices for reducing pediatric drowning.
"Drowning is the leading cause of death in US children ages 1 to 4 years. Unintentional pediatric drowning fatality rates declined from 1999 to 2019 but subsequently trended upward. Racial/ethnic disparities in fatal pediatric drowning rates have widened. Persisting disparities in urban-rural pediatric drowning fatality rates exist. This policy statement provides evidence-based best practices for reducing pediatric drowning and accompanies a technical report."
Taken directly from the article Recommendations for Prevention of Drowning for parents and caregivers:
Parents and Caregivers
- Be aware of drowning hazards.
- Prevent unanticipated entry of young children to the toilet, swimming pool, or natural water.
- Empty water from buckets.
- Store upside down after use.
- Provide constant adult presence when bathing an infant or young child.
- Never leave children alone in the bathroom.
- Use toilet locks.
- For families with toddlers or children with ASD who are at risk of wandering, identify and prevent access to nearby water hazards.
- When visiting a home or facility with potential aquatic exposure, assess safety features such as barriers.
- Isolate the swimming pool from the house and rest of the yard by installing a 4-ft, 4-sided fence with a self-closing self-latching gate.
- Supervise children in, on, and around water.
- Never leave, even momentarily, young children alone or with another child while in or near bathtubs, pools, spas, or standing or flowing water.
- Never use alcohol or drugs before or when supervising children around water.
- Ensure a supervising adult with swimming skills is within arm's length and provides touch supervision for an infant, toddler, or weak swimmer who is in or around water.
- An adult should provide close, constant attentive, and competent supervision of children and swimmers.
- The water watcher's sole responsibility is supervision, and should not be distracted, or engage in other activities, including phone use.
- The person should be able to recognize distress, perform rescue without taking undue risks, initiate CPR, and summon help for a drowning child.
- Require children to obtain an adult's permission and presence to enter the water, regardless of their swimming ability.
- Children can begin to learn water competency after their first birthday.
- Individualize when to begin children's swim lessons on the basis of the child's emotional maturity, physical and cognitive abilities, and health concerns in discussion with your child's pediatrician.
- Ensure all children wear US Coast Guard-approved life jackets whenever they are in/on any type of motorized/nonmotorized watercraft.
- Life jacket sizes are based on a child's weight.
- Confirm the child's life jacket is fitted and secured properly.
- Adults should wear life jackets when boating to model safe behavior and to perform rescue.
- Young children and nonswimmers should wear life jackets when they are near water or when swimming.
- Avoid using inflatable arm bands, neck rings, or "floaties" because they may deflate and not keep children safe.
- Be prepared to provide rescue.
- Caregivers and adolescents should learn CPR.
- Keep US Coast Guard-approved rescue equipment (life buoys, life jackets, and reach tool) poolside.
- Have a mobile telephone available only for emergency use.
- Select designated and lifeguarded areas when swimming in natural water.
- Pay attention to local weather, tides, waves, currents, and natural water hazards.
- Check for rip currents.
- Avoid swimming near piers and areas where rip currents develop.
- If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until free of the current; then swim diagonally to land.
- Before entering the water, check the water's depth and for underwater hazards.
- Teach entry feet first.
- Recognize winter drowning hazards.
- Avoid walking, skating, or riding on weak or thawing ice in natural water.
