Scottish health minister welcomes rotavirus vaccine

Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhoea in young children and I welcome the use of any vaccine that can protect them.

In some of the most serious cases, the infection can result in a hospital stay, which can be distressing for the children and their families. It is thought that with the vaccine, there could be 70% fewer hospital stays as a result.

Rotavirus is highly contagious and can affect around 140,000 infants in the UK every year. I would encourage parents of young children to take up this vaccine when the programme begins.