The NHS begins offering a vaccine aimed at preventing thousands of cases of tummy upset in young children today.
Officials hope that some 675,000 babies a year will receive the rotavirus vaccine.
It is hoped the programme will prevent as many as 13,000 cases needing hospital treatment and some 130,000 GP visits every year.
Public health experts say that currently almost every child succumbs to the virus at least once in their first five years.
Dr Paul Cosford, of Public Health England, said: “Although good hygiene measures can help prevent spread of the disease, the best way to protect your baby from catching rotavirus is to get them vaccinated.
“The new vaccine will provide protection to those young babies who are most vulnerable to complications arising from rotavirus. From now on parents will be offered this protection alongside their baby’s other childhood vaccinations.”
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