Rotavirus vaccine - Rotavirus vaccine information for health professionals

The rotavirus vaccine, Rotarix is an oral, live attenuated vaccine.

Rotarix protects against gastroenteritis due to rotavirus serotypes G1P, G2P, G3P, G4P, G9P, which account for 97% of the rotavirus strains that are circulating in the UK.

Summary of product characteristics

• Rotarix vaccine information on the EMC website (external site).

Schedule guidance in the The Green Book, chapter 27b: Rotavirus (external site) supersedes the SmPC.

The complete routine immunisation schedule includes information about routine and non-routine vaccinations.

Guidance

Vaccination programme recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and Welsh Government policy can be found at the links below.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the UK Government website (external site) – read JCVI publications and statements; search e.g. rotavirus.

Welsh Health Circulars and Welsh Government letters

• Live attenuated vaccines: Avoid use in those who are clinically immunosuppressed, including neonates (May 2016).
• New national immunisation programmes and introduction of a rotavirus programme (May 2013).

Clinical resources and information

• Rotavirus: The Green Book, chapter 27b (external site).
• The rotavirus vaccination programme: Information for healthcare practitioners from UKHSA (external site).

Patient group directions (PGDs) and protocols

PGD templates for vaccines can be found on the patient group directions (PGDs) and protocols page (external site).

Further clinical resources and information

• Vaccine resources for health and social care workers

Data and surveillance

• Data and surveillance.
• Rotavirus: Guidance, data and analysis from UKHSA (external site). 
• Norovirus and rotavirus: Summary of surveillance from UKHSA (external site).

Page last reviewed: 26th October 2025