New Zealand babies will be entitled to free vaccinations against a highly infectious and potentially deadly gastric bug from tomorrow. The new oral rotavirus vaccine is one of several improvements to the Government’s national immunization schedule. One mum that’s on board with the vaccination is Vanessa Williams, whose son Oscar was nearly killed by the bug. “It was horrifying to think that this bug nearly killed him,” says Ms Williams. Oscar caught the virus a year ago and wound up in hospital after days of vomiting and diarrhoea. He lost 20 percent of his bodyweight, dropping from 10kg down to eight. Like Oscar, 90 percent of New Zealand children develop rotavirus by the time they are aged three. One in 50 children end up gravely ill. Dr Nikki Turner says the virus is contracted through hand contact, faeces and vomiting. “You still see a lot of children in New Zealand ending up in hospital, needing drips, needing re-hydration, having a miserable time for days, even weeks before they finally recover,” she said.

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