Intussusception is a disorder in which one part of the intestine, usually the small intestine, slides inside another part. This is sometimes referred to as "telescoping" because it's similar to the way a collapsible telescope folds together. Intussusception is much more common in children, particularly in infants younger than 1 year, than in adults.

For most cases of intussusception in children, the cause is unknown; it occurs spontaneously. Or it may be triggered by a viral infection or a growth in the intestine, such as a polyp, lymph node or tumor. In the past, some cases of intussusception seemed to be associated with a version of the rotavirus vaccine (RotaShield). That vaccine was removed from the market in 1999.

The alert states it is unknown if the vaccine caused the 28 new cases. FDA issued the notification to encourage reporting of any additional cases of intussusception to help assess if there is association with the newly licensed rotavirus vaccine RotaTeq®.

Summary:

See complete FDA RotaTeq® notification at:

http://www.fda.gov/cber/safety/phnrota021307.htm