The rotavirus vaccine protects 9 out of 10 children from getting severe illness caused by rotavirus.

The rotavirus vaccine may cause a small increase in the risk of intussusception, a type of bowel blockage. Signs of intussusception include stomach pain with severe crying. Babies might pull their legs up to their chest, vomit several times, have blood in the stool, or appear weak or irritable.

If you think your baby has intussusception, contact a health care provider or take your baby to a hospital right away. Tell them when your baby got rotavirus vaccine.

Learn more about the rotavirus vaccine at the CDC.

Most side effects after vaccination are mild. They include:

• Pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given
• Mild fever
• Chills
• Feeling tired
• Headache
• Muscle and joint aches

Although serious side effects following vaccination are very rare, they do occur.

The U.S. government created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to reimburse people who suffer a serious injury as the result of a vaccine.

All vaccines administered to children and many vaccines administered to adults are covered by the federal vaccine program, including the rotavirus vaccine.

Serious injuries that can occur after a rotavirus vaccine include:

• GBS (Guillain-Barré syndrome)
• SIRVA (Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration)
• CIDP (Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy)
• AIDP (Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy)
• ADEM (Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis)
• ITP (Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura)
• TP (thrombocytopenic purpura)
• Transverse myelitis (TM)
• Central nervous disorders
• Encephalopathy
• Anaphylaxis
• Brachial neuritis
• Rotator cuff tear
• Vasovagal syncope
• Injection site injury
• Abscess
• Shoulder injury
• Arm injury

The vaccine program will only consider compensation when injuries persist and require ongoing medical care for longer than six months.