Table 3.

Features of Rotarix and RotaTeq rotavirus vaccines

Feature	Rotarix	RotaTeq
Composition	Single human rotavirus strain (P1A[8], G1)	Five human G/P reassortants with bovine rotavirus strain WC3 (P7[5], G6): G1 × WC3; G2 × WC3; G3 × WC3; G3 × WC3; P1A[8] × WC3
Number of doses needed	2 oral doses	3 oral doses
Schedule*	Dose 1: minimum 6 weeks of age; dose 2: ≥4 weeks later; complete by 24 weeks of age	Dose 1: 6–12 weeks of age; doses 2 and 3: 4–10 week intervals; complete by 32 weeks of age
Dose	Each dose (1–1.5 mL) contains at least 106 median cell culture infectious doses	Each dose (2 mL) contains at least 2.0–2.8×106 infectious units per reassortant
Shelf life	36 months	24 months
Storage	2–8°C, protected from light	2–8°C, protected from light
Contraindications	History of hypersensitivity to the vaccine or any component of the vaccine; history of uncorrected congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract that would predispose to intussusception; history of severe combined immunodeficiency disease; history of intussusception	History of hypersensitivity to the vaccine or any component of the vaccine; history of severe combined immunodeficiency disease; history of intussusception

^*Ages for vaccine doses vary according to the recommendations of individual countries and vaccination schedules.