We all know about vaccinations from childhood. IN modern society vaccination is a generally accepted procedure. But many young parents, preparing for the birth of their own child, begin to wonder whether their children should be vaccinated? Parents start looking for information on the Internet and come across two opposing opinions about vaccinations for children - the pros and cons. Let's try to figure out whether vaccination harms babies.
Some experts argue that vaccinations are necessary, while others fiercely defend their opinion that they are harmful. Of course, the truth in this case is different for everyone, but parents should make the decision to vaccinate their child, since they are the ones who are responsible for the life and health of their child, and not a pediatrician who insists on vaccinations, or a neighbor’s mother who dissuades them from her child had serious complications.
Why is vaccination needed?
to contentsShould children be vaccinated - opinion FOR
Unfortunately, we are not immune from outbreaks of epidemics. The thought of refusing vaccinations did not even occur to people several decades ago. Remember how they were made at school, gathering the whole class in the first aid station. The risk of disease was very high, and the vaccine really protected us from viruses circulating everywhere. Now there are no such dangerous outbreaks of the epidemic, and many doctors are confident that this is partly due to vaccination. Now we are accustomed to considering ourselves so protected from all diseases that we can neglect the importance of vaccinations. Did you know that dangerous viruses could they be very close? Or maybe you completely accidentally found yourself next to a person with tuberculosis, or (God forbid) someone from your family or friends and acquaintances became infected with this disease? Or maybe an ordinary passer-by brought terrible disease from African countries? Have you seen how stray cats and dogs relieve their natural needs right in the sandbox, and then small children play there?
What is the point of vaccinations?
The opinion that vaccination will 100% protect your baby from infectious diseases is wrong. But the fact that it significantly reduces the risk of these diseases is an indisputable fact. Should not be underestimated protective properties vaccinations for infants. The younger the child, the weaker his immune system. Even if the baby gets sick, the vaccination given earlier will help the disease go away in less time. mild form, without serious consequences. Large-scale vaccination helps avoid national epidemics, doctors say. Some parents refuse childhood vaccinations, and they have the right to do so, but there are few of them - only 8%, and 92% of the population in the country is vaccinated.
It is also erroneous to think that children who are breastfeeding, are completely protected from any diseases. This is partly true: the immunity of a baby fed with mother's milk is much higher. But it is impossible to say unambiguously in what quantity antibodies are transferred to the child from the mother. This means that there is no guarantee that the child will not get sick.
to contentsDoctor Komarovsky about vaccinations
Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky – practitioner pediatrician, whose books have gained great popularity among parents. The doctor often appears on television and communicates with Internet users. He, like everyone else famous person, there are supporters and opponents. Evgeniy Olegovich is asked many questions about children’s nutrition, hardening, treatment various diseases. What does he think famous doctor about vaccinations? He votes FOR vaccinations with both hands. But he emphasizes: complications after vaccinations are possible, and reactions to vaccinations are possible. Therefore, the procedure requires serious preparation on the part of parents and doctors. And of course, vaccinations must be done with high-quality vaccines that are transported and stored according to all the rules. And thank God, now there is information about vaccinations, about possible complications and risks is publicly available, and parents can, if necessary, buy for their child the vaccine that the doctor recommends.
For ten years, Dr. Komarovsky headed the department infectious diseases hospital in the Kharkov region in Ukraine, where all patients with diphtheria were treated. He saw how unvaccinated children died from diphtheria, and saw the difference in the course of whooping cough in vaccinated and unvaccinated children. And I am sure that he will have enough emotions about this until the end of his days.
to contentsShould children be vaccinated - opinion AGAINST
People (specialists and non-specialists) who are AGAINST vaccinations operate various factors. Homeopathic doctor Alexander Kotok is considered an authoritative opponent of vaccinations. He has information about the production process of vaccines and their composition, which cannot be called publicly available, and gives arguments AGAINST vaccinations:
- First, vaccinations from a developmental perspective post-vaccination complications carry great danger.
- Secondly, a barely born baby, who, in fact, does not yet need vaccinations, is given many vaccines, including the evil one BCG vaccine(it is even called a killer vaccine), which is also very dangerous.
- Thirdly, modern vaccinations do not live up to the hopes of protection from diseases that society places on them.
- Fourthly, doctors too exaggerate the danger of diseases against which children are vaccinated.
What is this information that Dr. Kotok operates on? The DPT vaccine (whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus) contains formaldehyde, and its toxoids are adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide. In the production of almost all vaccines, the preservative merthiolate (an organic mercury salt) is used. All these substances are extremely dangerous for people, and even more so for small children. In addition, the dose of diphtheria toxoid in the vaccine is non-standard, and it is impossible to standardize it; it can vary even in the release of one series from the same manufacturer. And this discrepancy can be quite dangerous.
According to the Russian vaccination calendar, a child must receive nine vaccinations in the first 18 months of life. The first vaccine is given to him in the first 12 hours of life - one might say, immediately after birth. Consequently, the child is in the post-vaccination period for the first year and a half of life, which means he is not completely healthy, since any vaccine suppresses immunity for a period of 5-6 months.
The doctor claims that 80% of people who became ill with diphtheria in 1990 were previously vaccinated. In addition, there is evidence that people a year after vaccination are no longer protected from the disease (about 20% of such people), and the percentage of unprotected people is growing over time. That is, after two years, 35% are no longer protected, and after three years – all 80%. The data given refers to 1994.
to contentsSo should children be vaccinated?
The topic of vaccinations is relevant and worthy of detailed discussion. It is necessary to solve organizational problems, develop ways to prevent complications, ensure compliance with vaccination techniques and rules, strive for individual approach during the process of vaccinating a child.
Independent experts recommend that parents familiarize themselves with vaccines, as well as possible risks and complications that are possible after any vaccination. You should be aware of contraindications to vaccination. Take the time to consult with several doctors if you know that your child is at risk. And of course, you need to properly prepare your child for vaccination. How to do this is a topic for another discussion.
Update: October 2018
Currently, there is active anti-vaccination propaganda in Russia. It hurts great harm The population, unfortunately, does not all realize this, but succumbs to the “canards” of the media. This propaganda is already bearing terrible fruit.
It started back in the late 80s. As a result of the mass refusal to vaccinate at different intervals epidemics of diphtheria, measles, etc. occur in the country. After all, it is those who are not vaccinated who become infected and transmit the infection.
Vaccination is a method of preventing severe infectious (viral and bacterial) diseases by introducing antigenic material into the body, resulting in the formation of immunity to this disease.
The question of whether to vaccinate children arises before every parent immediately after the birth of the baby. And there is only one answer - if there are no contraindications, if the child is healthy, then vaccinations should be done!
Often several vaccinations are given to children at once (DPT, for example, immediately includes 3 components). This is acceptable and not scary, although many are afraid of it, but often they themselves don’t know why. For the immune system healthy child it's quite normal. This will be discussed in more detail below.
For some pathogens, stable immunity is formed immediately, for others, revaccination is required, that is reintroduction antigen to maintain stable immunity.
A little history
Even in ancient times, inoculation was practiced in India and China. If an infectious disease was accompanied by the appearance of blisters on the human body, then liquid was taken from them and injected healthy people. Of course, in ancient times this was not always safe, and infections often occurred in this way, since the pathogen was not weakened in the inoculum. But a start had been made.
If we don’t talk about ancient times, then back in England it was noticed that milkmaids who fell ill with cowpox never subsequently suffered from smallpox. Edward Jenner also knew about this sign and decided to check it out. First he vaccinated the child against cowpox, and after some time he was injected with a pathogen smallpox. The child did not get sick. This was the beginning of vaccination. But the term itself appeared much later, it was proposed by Louis Pasteur, who was also able to produce the first vaccines with weakened microorganisms.
Vaccinations appeared in Russia during the reign of Catherine II.
Types of vaccines
- Live vaccine - a live, weakened microorganism acts as an antigen; these include vaccines against polio (in the form of drops), rubella, and mumps.
- Inactivated vaccine– either a killed microorganism or its parts act as an antigen, for example, cell wall. These include vaccines against whooping cough, meningococcal infection, rabies.
- Toxoids - an inactivated (does not cause any harm to the human body) toxin produced by the pathogen acts as an antigen. These include vaccinations against tetanus and diphtheria.
- Biosynthetic vaccines– obtained as a result of genetic engineering technologies, for example, the hepatitis B vaccine.
The functioning of the immune system during vaccination
The immune system is the guardian of our body. She reacts to any foreign agent. When such an agent (antigen) enters, the immune system is activated, and biological mass is produced active substances, increased production of leukocytes bone marrow and antibodies are produced. Antibodies are specific for different antigens. Thus, these antibodies can persist long time or all life, and this allows you to protect the body from the pathogenic effects of this antigen. If the same foreign agent enters, the existing antibodies will destroy it.
The principle of vaccination is based on this - an antigen (a weakened or killed pathogen, or part of it) is introduced into the body. The immune system is activated and antibodies to this pathogen are produced. These antibodies remain in the human body for a long time, protecting him from this disease. In this case, a person does not get sick, since a weakened microorganism, much less a killed one or part of it, cannot cause the development of the disease. If in the future a person encounters a pathogen of this disease, then when hit infectious agent into the body, existing antibodies immediately attack these microorganisms and destroy them. Thus, the disease does not develop.
Routes of vaccine administration
Intramuscular
Most often used when administering vaccines. The muscles of the human body are well supplied with blood, which provides an excellent hit rate immune cells to the site of antigen injection, and this ensures the fastest development of immunity. Distance from skin reduces the risk of local side effects. Vaccinations for children under 3 years of age are administered to the anterolateral surface of the thigh. Injection into the gluteal muscle is not recommended, since the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer on the buttocks is large and the needles for vaccination are short; in this case, the injection will be subcutaneous rather than intramuscular. There is also always a risk of getting into sciatic nerve. At 2 years of age, but better after 3 years, vaccines are allowed to be administered into the deltoid muscle (in the shoulder area, in the projection of the head of the humerus).
Intradermal and cutaneous
The vaccine against tuberculosis (BCG), against tularemia is administered intradermally; previously, the vaccine against smallpox was also administered. The traditional injection site is the shoulder or flexor surface of the forearm. When the vaccine is administered correctly, a “lemon peel” will form. It looks like a whitish spot with small indentations, like on the peel of a lemon, hence the name. 
Subcutaneous
Gangrenous or streptococcal toxoids are administered in this way, and this method can also be used when administering live vaccines. Since in this case the rate of development of immunity is reduced, it is not recommended to administer vaccines against rabies and hepatitis B in this way. This method of administration also becomes preferable in patients with bleeding disorders, since the risk of bleeding with subcutaneous administration is much lower than with intramuscular administration.
Oral (by mouth)
Thus, according to the calendar preventive vaccinations for children in Russia, introduced live vaccine against polio after 1 year. In other countries, the vaccine against typhoid fever. If the vaccine tastes bad, it is offered on a sugar cube.
Aerosol (nasal, intranasal)
One of the domestic influenza vaccines has this route of administration. It ensures the appearance of local immunity at the entrance gates of infection. Immunity is unstable.
Simultaneous administration of vaccines
Some people are concerned that in some cases multiple vaccines are administered at the same time. But you shouldn't be afraid of this. Based on many years of experience, this does not cause any complications. The only vaccines that cannot be given at the same time are cholera and yellow fever.
Composition of vaccines
The vaccine contains, in addition to the main active substance(antigen) may be a preservative, sorbent, stabilizer, nonspecific impurities and filler.
Nonspecific impurities include protein from the substrate where the viral vaccine was cultured, microscopic amounts of antibiotics, and animal serum proteins if they were used in the cultivation of the required cell cultures.
A preservative is included in any vaccine. Its presence is necessary to ensure the sterility of the solution. The conditions for their availability are set by WHO experts.
Stabilizers and fillers are not required components, but in some cases they are found in vaccines. Only those stabilizers and fillers that are approved for introduction into the human body are used.
Everything regarding contraindications to vaccination
After the question “what vaccinations are given to children?”, the next question for young mothers is “what are the contraindications?” This question is worthy close attention, so we will consider all possible aspects.
Currently, the list of contraindications is decreasing. There is a logical explanation for this.
- As a result of many years of observations and research, it was found that infections against which children are vaccinated are much more severe in persons for whom vaccinations were previously contraindicated. For example, in malnourished children infected with tuberculosis, the disease is much more severe. Those infected with whooping cough have a risk fatal outcome higher. Rubella is much more severe in patients diabetes mellitus, and influenza – in patients bronchial asthma. Prohibiting the vaccination of such children means exposing them to great danger.
- Studies conducted under the supervision of WHO have shown that the post-vaccination period in such children proceeds in the same way as in healthy children. It was also found that as a result of vaccination, the course of background chronic diseases does not worsen.
- Thanks to improvements in vaccine production technology, it has been possible to significantly reduce ballast substances and proteins that can provoke adverse reactions. For example, in a number of vaccines the egg white content is minimized and is not even determined. This allows such vaccines to be given to children who are allergic to egg white.
There are several types of contraindications:
- True contraindications- these are those that are listed in the annotations for vaccines and are available in orders and international recommendations.
- False - they essentially are not. They are inventions of parents or because of traditions. For example, for some reason some doctors still believe perinatal encephalopathy contraindication, although this is not the case.
- Absolute - if they are available, the child is not vaccinated, even if it is listed among the mandatory vaccinations in the vaccination calendar.
- Relative contraindications are true, but the final decision on vaccination is made by the doctor, comparing the risks of each decision. For example, if you are allergic to egg white, usually do not get a flu shot, but in the event of a dangerous epidemic situation, the risk of allergies is lower than the risk of contracting the flu. In other countries, this is not even a contraindication; they simply provide training that reduces the risk of allergies.
- Temporary - for example, acute respiratory viral infection in a child or an exacerbation of a chronic disease; after the child recovers, the introduction of a vaccine is allowed.
- Permanent - they will never be removed, for example, primary immunodeficiency The child has.
- General - they apply to all vaccinations, for example, no vaccination should be given if there is a fever or the child is suffering from an acute illness.
- Private contraindications are those that relate to only a few vaccinations, but other vaccines are allowed.
True contraindications to preventive vaccinations:
| Vaccine | Contraindications |
| Any vaccines | A severe reaction to a previous administration of this vaccine (fever above 40°C and/or redness and swelling at the injection site with a diameter of more than 8 cm in a child after vaccination). Complications – anaphylactic shock, angioedema, arthritis or other complications. |
| Live vaccines | Primary immunodeficiency, malignant neoplasms, pregnancy. |
| BCG | Low birth weight (less than 2 kg), formation of a keloid scar at the site of previous injection, severe neurological disorders, Generalized BCG infection (in other close relatives), hemolytic disease newborns, systemic skin pathologies, HIV in the mother, immunodeficiency in the child (see about BCG vaccination and its consequences - opinion of Ph.D.). |
| DTP | A history of seizures in the child, progressive neurological diseases. |
| PDA | Severe allergy to aminoglycosides. Anaphylactic shock history of egg whites. |
| Hepatitis B vaccine | Allergic reaction to baker's yeast if the newborn child had a long physiological jaundice(hyperbilirubinemia) with high performance bilirubin. |
Adverse reactions
Vaccination is immunobiological drug, which causes the desired changes in the body in the form of developing immunity to severe infectious diseases, but there may also be adverse reactions.
Often mothers worry that after vaccination the child’s body temperature rises or local reactions occur, but they should not worry if the reaction does not become prohibitive.
An adverse reaction is a normal reaction of the body; this reflects the process of developing immunity after a foreign antigen enters the child’s body. If these reactions are not very pronounced, then this is even positive thing talking about high activity immune system. But their absence does not mean that insufficient immunity is being developed, it is only individual feature reactivity of the immune system.
If severe adverse reactions occur, for example, a rise in temperature above 40 degrees, you must immediately inform your doctor. Since, in addition to providing assistance to the child, the doctor will need to fill out a number of documents and submit them to special authorities that control the quality of vaccines. If several such cases occur, the batch of vaccines is confiscated and carefully checked.
It is very important to keep in mind the typicality of these adverse reactions. For example, if it is known that children after rubella vaccinations may have a slight swelling in the joint area, then an exacerbation of gastritis during this period will have nothing to do with the vaccination. Various coincidences should not be attributed to vaccination.
The frequency of side effects is also known. For example, a vaccine against viral hepatitis In 7% of cases it gives a local reaction, and the rubella vaccine in 5% gives a general adverse reaction of the body.
| Local adverse reactions | Common adverse reactions |
These include:
The reason for this is aseptic inflammation at the injection site. This inflammation can be caused both by the drug itself and by the injection itself, which injures the skin and muscle. In many inactivated vaccines the composition contains special components that cause a local reaction in order to increase blood flow to the site of vaccine administration, which will lead to more immune cells entering this place, which means that immunity will be stronger. |
The most common of these are hyperthermia and rash. The rash occurs more often after the administration of antiviral vaccines, such as rubella. It is caused by the virus entering the skin, which is not dangerous. The rise in body temperature is due to the normal reaction of the immune system. When immune cells come into contact with an antigen, pyrogens, substances, causing an increase temperature. |
Based on control results State Institute standardization and control of vaccines and serums, during 8 years there were approximately complications after the administration of any vaccines 500 ! Whereas the mortality rate from the same whooping cough is 4,000 per 100,000.
Anti-vaccination
Anti-vaccination is a social movement whose representatives challenge the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.
People first started talking about this at the end of the 19th century. IN modern world the situation is aggravated by customized reports in the media and many unreliable articles written by amateurs on the Internet. Most people, not understanding what we are talking about, not understanding anything about immunology, judge the problem too confidently. “Infecting” others with your wrong judgments.
Let's debunk the myths of anti-vaxxers:
"Conspiracy of Pharmacists and Doctors"
For some reason, some people believe that doctors and pharmacists are trying to make money from vaccines. But why are vaccines the last resort? Any branch of pharmaceuticals or any other field is somehow profitable for someone, but for some reason only vaccinations are “to blame” for this for some people. And the main goal of vaccine production was and remains to be the prevention of dangerous infectious diseases, and not profit.
Vaccine failure
Statistics show the opposite. Cases of the disease among vaccinated people are rare, and if the disease develops, it is mild. But an unvaccinated person encountering a carrier of the infection will get sick with a probability approaching 100%.
Let us remember what epidemics there were around the world during smallpox and how many people died. But the vaccine against it has radically changed the situation. Only thanks to universal vaccination of everyone, cases of infection with the smallpox pathogen have not been recorded for more than 30 years.
Denial of the need for vaccination
Without data on incidence, anti-vaccinators mistakenly think that these infections are quite rare. But this is also a mistake. The incidence of hepatitis B over 6 years of active vaccination of children fell from 9 per 100 thousand to 1.6 per 100 thousand. But at the same time, this figure is still high, because the number of parents who refuse vaccination, according to the vaccination calendar, for children under one year or those who refuse completely, is very high. And this leads to the formation of a non-immune layer of the population, and these are potential carriers of these infections.
Statement about negative effects of vaccines
One of the most ridiculous claims in this regard is that vaccines contain mercury compounds, causing autism. Let's start with the fact that almost all the elements of the periodic table can be found in the human body, and mercury is not in last place there. We receive microdoses of such compounds every day through food. And in vaccines, this compound is present in even smaller quantities and plays the role of a preservative. Not to mention the fact that such exogenous factors cannot influence the appearance of autism at all. Even a student medical institute knows more about the etiology of this disease than anti-vaccinators, because even minimal knowledge would be enough not to assert such nonsense. It is precisely because of ignorance that similar rumors about epilepsy and other diseases appear. Let's remember the typicality of adverse reactions - you shouldn't blame the vaccine for what would have happened without it.
Vaccinations destroy immunity
Another stupidity from people who don’t know how the immune system works. We have already said that when vaccinated, the immune system is activated; there is no need to repeat it, I think.
Memo for parents
- On the day of vaccination and the next day, swimming and walking are not recommended. Since hypothermia and contact with a large number of people can cause OVRI in a child. In the first 2 days, the immune system actively develops immunity to the introduced antigens and additional immune load to no avail, the immune system may simply not cope and ARVI will develop.
- If your child has a temperature above 37.5, you should be given an antipyretic and consult your doctor.
- If appeared local reaction, then taking antihistamines, but before giving your child any medications, ask your doctor!
- The child must be healthy at the time of vaccine administration. At least 2 weeks must pass from the end of the last illness. The child should be examined by a pediatrician and should be normal indicators general analysis blood and urine.
Calendar of preventive vaccinations for children in Russia
| Subject to mandatory vaccination | Name of preventive vaccination |
| Newborns in the first 24 hours of life | First vaccination against viral hepatitis B |
| Newborns on the 3rd - 7th day of life | Vaccination against tuberculosis |
| Children 1 month | Second vaccination against viral hepatitis B |
| Children 2 months | Third vaccination against viral hepatitis B (risk groups) |
| First vaccination against pneumococcal infection | |
| Children 3 months | First vaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus |
| First vaccination against polio | |
| First vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection (risk group) | |
| Children 4.5 months | Second vaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus |
| Second vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection (risk group) | |
| Second vaccination against polio | |
| Second vaccination against pneumococcal infection | |
| Children 6 months | Third vaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus |
| Third vaccination against viral hepatitis B | |
| Third vaccination against polio | |
| Third vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae (risk group) | |
| Children 12 months | Vaccination against measles, rubella, |
| Fourth vaccination against viral hepatitis B (risk groups) | |
| Children 15 months | Revaccination against pneumococcal infection |
| Children 18 months | First revaccination against polio |
| First revaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus | |
| Revaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection (risk groups) | |
| Children 20 months | Second revaccination against polio |
| Children 6 years old | Revaccination against measles, rubella, mumps |
| Children 6 - 7 years old | Second revaccination against diphtheria, tetanus |
| Revaccination against tuberculosis | |
| Children 14 years old | Third revaccination against diphtheria, tetanus |
| Third revaccination against polio | |
| Adults over 18 years old | Revaccination against diphtheria, tetanus - every 10 years from the date of the last revaccination |
Vaccination against viral hepatitis B
Children from 1 year to 18 years old, adults from 18 to 55 years old, not previously vaccinated
Vaccination against measles
Children from 1 year to 18 years inclusive and adults under 35 years of age (inclusive), who have not been sick, not vaccinated, vaccinated once, and have no information about measles vaccinations
Vaccination against rubella
Children from 1 year to 18 years, women from 18 to 25 years (inclusive), not sick, not vaccinated, vaccinated once against rubella, who have no information about vaccinations against rubella
Flu vaccination
- Children from 6 months, students in grades 1 - 11
- students in professional educational organizations and educational organizations of higher education
- adults working in certain professions and positions (employees of medical and educational organizations, transport, public utilities)
- pregnant women
- adults over 60 years old
- persons subject to conscription for military service
- faces with chronic diseases, including lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders and obesity
Every year, 1.5 million children die from diseases for which vaccines are available. Some of those who survive the disease become disabled. Apart from these terrible statistics, the economy different countries Around the world, tens and hundreds of billions of dollars in income are being lost due to a decrease in the working capacity of the population and life expectancy. So why do some people stubbornly continue to ignore vaccination and what could this lead to in the future?
There are vaccines against 26 diseases in the world, and 24 more are in development. Quantity mandatory vaccinations varies depending on the epidemiological situation and financial capabilities of the country. According to WHO, Ukraine has the lowest vaccination coverage among countries in the European Region.
We require vaccinations against 10 infections: hepatitis B, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae, measles, rubella and mumps. This is the bare minimum in the world - all vaccinations against these infections can be done at the clinic for free. Despite this, great amount Rumors and myths turn adults into anti-vaxxers. Such people do not care that ignoring vaccination can cause an epidemic and tens of thousands of child deaths every year. Because vaccinations are supposedly harmful, these people do not get vaccinated and do not vaccinate their children, exposing themselves and others to the risk of contracting a serious disease. Mass failure vaccination is dangerous. Later in the article we will tell you why and to what extent.
Vaccinations against various diseases make people's lives safer and prevent epidemics
Immunization saves millions of children every year from death and disability. In addition, getting vaccinated is much cheaper than buying antibiotics. It is thanks to immunization that some diseases do not bother humanity, and the mortality rate from others has been significantly reduced.
The situation with vaccinations in each individual country is checked by the number of DTP. This is a combined vaccine against tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria. Global Vaccine Action Plan ( ) provides for immunization of 90% or more of the population of every country in the world, so far only 131 out of 195 countries have reached this level. Spoiler: Ukraine is doing very poorly with vaccination.
According to WHO data for 2016, Ukraine is on the list of countries with immunization of less than 50% of the population
Our neighbors on the list: Somalia, Chad, South Sudan and Nigeria.
A low level of vaccination is dangerous not only for people’s lives and health, but also for the country’s economy
According to , Every year, 1.5 million children die from vaccine-preventable diseases. This is due to shortages of the vaccines themselves, because the country simply cannot afford to buy them in full or due to problems with delivery and quality.This is all very sad, especially in the part where parents are knowingly putting their children at risk by not vaccinating them because of myths about autism, .
Every dollar invested in immunization generates a return of $16 in health care savings. No. 95 from September 2017 there is a study according to which vaccination in 73 countries from 2001 to 2020 will prevent more than 20 million deaths and save more than 350 billion in costs due to disease. Additionally, avoiding deaths and disability would increase productivity by $330 billion.
Immunization prevents 2 to 3 million deaths per year. Another 1.5 million could be saved by simply improving immunization information and access to vaccines, without inventing anything new. Unfortunately, while people various reasons do not get vaccinated, the percentage of people protected from deadly diseases in best case scenario will be stable, which is what has been happening over the past few years.
WHO did , which explains the benefits of vaccination to in simple language convey to people the idea that this is important and necessary.
Doing everything necessary vaccinations You not only care about your health and the health of those around you, but also help protect the country from heavy economic losses due to ignorant anti-vaxxers and epidemics of various diseases that their actions, or rather inaction, can lead to.
“We must make the immune system work,” says Konstantin Kemenchizhidi, chief physician Megion City Children's Hospital "Pearl". Why children should be vaccinated, what multicomponent vaccines are, read about this in an interview with the head of a medical institution.
- What are the benefits of vaccination for humans?
K. Kemenchizhidi: In 2005, the initiative to hold European Immunization Week was adopted, with one goal - to convey to the population the need for vaccination: every person has the right not to get sick, to provide themselves with lasting immunity against diseases. More and more research confirms that almost every disease has an infectious component. Treatment of diseases is expensive, recovery takes a long period of time, and vaccination is the shortest path to health. We all talk about a healthy lifestyle, it consists of physical activity, proper nutrition and giving up bad habits, and I believe that vaccination is one of the components healthy image life, as it improves human health.
At the 2017 annual report, you spoke about a decrease in vaccination coverage, including due to parents’ refusal to vaccinate. Now many people are hesitant to vaccinate their child against dangerous infections. What do you think is the reason for these doubts? Are they related to the quality of vaccines? And finally, is it worth vaccinating or not?
K. Kemenchizhidi: Concerns arise from the spread of myths about vaccination that each vaccination causes changes in immunity. Everyone knows the fact that we have overcome a number of diseases and avoided severe forms and the consequences of diphtheria, measles, rubella, these diseases have practically disappeared, since an immune layer has been created. But when an unvaccinated child encounters this disease, and we explain to parents that this could have been avoided, and not listen to incompetent opinions, it is already too late, and the consequences are irreversible. Today's vaccines are so pure they don't contain foreign protein and are prepared using genetic engineering. This allows the body to produce antibodies, has virtually no side effects.
- That is, parents’ refusal to vaccinate increases the level of responsibility for the child’s health in the future?
K. Kemenchizhidi: Unfortunately, they are not punished for failure to comply with the vaccination plan, and in any case, if the child gets sick and has severe consequences, will evaluate actions medical workers, but not parents. I have always said and will continue to say that it is necessary to instill in parents responsibility for their actions. Parents, not seeing how seriously ill their children are, are not aware of the complications that can occur: diseases such as rubella and chicken pox can lead to secondary infertility. There is a wonderful poster created by the World Health Organization, which shows the isolation of an unvaccinated child from society.
- There is a lot of information on forums on the Internet about complications after vaccinations, how to avoid complications?
K. Kemenchizhidi: We are not seeing global complications today, but if they are detected, it means that the immunization procedure was violated. Basically, these are reactions of a local nature, allergic: redness, itching, abscesses, which indicate that a local disease is occurring and the immune system begins to work.
1 - 2 days before vaccination it is necessary to start taking antihistamines, antiallergic drugs and after vaccination take this drug for 2 -3 days. Of course, every child must first be examined by a doctor before entering the vaccination room.
Does vaccination really protect against dangerous diseases such as diphtheria, polio and tetanus? Can a child get sick from a disease for which he is vaccinated?
K. Kemenchizhidi: The pathogen can enter the child’s body, because vaccination is not an external, but an internal barrier of a person. What happens to a person who has been immunized? The body already has antibodies in the blood and the body already knows this disease; if an infectious component enters, it can get a mild form of the disease, but without consequences and complications, which is why all these infections are dangerous. In the 80s of the last century, I studied and worked in the Krasnodar Territory, in the city of Anapa, and at that time they had already staged DTP vaccine, in the Soviet Union this was mandatory. They brought a group of children from Afghanistan, where vaccination was not mandatory, and the children fell ill with diphtheria, some died. Our children also suffered from the disease, but in a mild form, and the immune layer that was created at that time prevented the disease from spreading.
- Which vaccines do you consider a breakthrough in the fight against diseases?
K. Kemenchizhidi : National calendar vaccinations provide vaccination against 15 diseases, in European countries they cover even more: in Italy - 17 vaccines, in France - 18, in Germany -21. Experts in the countries calculated how much treatment costs and how much vaccination costs, and came to the conclusion that vaccination is cheaper. All vaccines are necessary and important. I consider a breakthrough in the field of immunization to be the vaccine against polio, which has become inactivated and is vaccinated in 3 rounds, vaccinations against Haemophilus influenzae and DPT. Also a huge breakthrough is the use of vaccines against pneumococcal and respiratory syncytial infections for children who were born weakened, premature. Not long ago, vaccination against hemophilus influenzae was included in the calendar. All this is a big step in achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves, namely preserving the health of the population and ensuring a comfortable standard of living.
- How can parents prepare their child for the upcoming vaccination?
K. Kemenchizhidi: Firstly, mandatory inspection a pediatrician who will prescribe antiallergic drugs 1-2 days before vaccination, and 2-3 days after, to minimize the consequences.
It happens that parents buy vaccines from certain manufacturers, it turns out that there is some kind of division into bad and good vaccines?
K. Kemenchizhidi: There are no bad vaccines, they are simply not allowed. There are multicomponent vaccines, those that vaccinate against, for example, 5 diseases at once, so parents are encouraged to purchase them, I would also advise.
Today, parents have a choice whether to vaccinate or not. Can you give some recommendations to doubtful drivers?
K. Kemenchizhidi: It is better to prevent the disease, it is better to prepare the child for an infection that he may encounter in life. It’s bad when there are no antibodies in the body, especially for those who have a weakened immune system and often get sick. We constantly hear parents say that the child is often sick, it’s better not to touch him, that’s why it’s better to vaccinate him, and we must penetrate the immune system and make it work and develop antibodies.
Administration of the Megion City Children's Hospital "Zhemchuzhinka"
Very often, mothers of small children wonder: is it necessary to get vaccinated in such a time? early age? Adults also ask a similar question. It arose due to the fact that vaccination is not considered mandatory by law. There are two opinions on this matter. Some believe that it is necessary to vaccinate both children and adults according to the vaccination calendar, while others aggressively defend their reluctance to vaccinate. Who is right?
Are vaccinations necessary?
Vaccinations are required. They allow not only to protect young and adult bodies from infection, but also to prevent outbreaks of epidemics in children's groups. Vaccination allows you to acquire certain immunity to certain infectious diseases. When infected, a vaccinated person tolerates the disease much easier with favorable outcome. If vaccinations are not given, the disease can kill up to 2/3 of the population. If collective immunity is created through vaccination, the incidence will not reach such large proportions and will gradually subside.
Most of the diseases for which vaccination is carried out are quite dangerous for the body not only of a child, but also of an adult. Consequences past infections cannot always be eliminated. A person may become disabled after an illness. One should not think that a vaccine is a panacea for infectious diseases. Vaccination allows you to survive the disease in a mild form if you become infected, eliminating the possibility of death.
It is impossible to say unequivocally whether a person should be vaccinated in a particular case. The decision whether or not to vaccinate is made taking into account several factors. Children's and adult bodies are individual. Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to make adjustments to the vaccination plan in a particular case. The timing of vaccination is changed if a person falls ill during the vaccination period. If he is vaccinated later, it will not affect the health of the baby and the adult.
Parents must decide whether their child needs vaccination. It all depends on the health status of the baby. It is more difficult to resolve the issue of flu vaccinations for children and adults. It is not mandatory and is not included in the vaccination schedule. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a vaccine. Initially, you should study the forecast for the variety of viruses that will prevail this season. Incorrect selection of the drug reduces the effectiveness of vaccination by three times. Therefore, such vaccination will be ineffective.
A person with a weakened immune system may become ill after receiving a flu vaccine respiratory infections, and the risk of contracting the flu will be significantly lower. Influenza vaccination is not given to children under six months of age. It is recommended for older people, because at this age it is difficult for a person to fight viruses. At the time of making the decision to prescribe vaccination, there should be no exacerbations of chronic diseases. For babies up to one year old, split vaccines and subunit preparations are used. They are accepted by the body quite well, do not contain impurities and are not dangerous. Therefore, parents must decide on its necessity independently.
Why shouldn't you refuse vaccination?
The response to the administered vaccine depends on your health status, so before vaccination it is necessary to measure your temperature and consult a doctor. If a person is sick, the doctor draws up a medical report until he recovers. In this case, it is necessary to create a favorable environment for recovery, eliminating contact with sick people. The doctor controls the timing of vaccination, carries it out taking into account past diseases. If you are planning a trip to other countries, the vaccination calendar is adjusted. In this case, you will probably need to be vaccinated according to the vaccination list of the country you are planning to travel to. If the baby travels with his parents, he is also entitled to the appropriate vaccination.
The vaccines that come to us are fully certified and have approval from the Ministry of Health. All of them have been tested and have the highest preventive effectiveness. For their production, either living or weakened microorganisms are used. Vaccines vary slightly between companies. Redness at the injection site, fever and weakness are standard reactions to vaccination in adults and children. The degree of reaction to the drug is individual for everyone. With proper preparation of the vaccination schedule, the risk of side effects is minimal.
If a person gets sick often, it is necessary not only to postpone vaccination until better times, but to visit an immunologist. It is necessary to take an immunogram test, which will show the condition of the body. Based on this analysis, the immunologist will develop a scheme for restoring weakened immunity. Next, taking into account the state of health, it is worth getting vaccinated.
When choosing a flu vaccine, determine which virus structure is most likely to occur this season. Only this approach will completely protect a person from infection with dangerous mutations of the virus. The composition of infections changes every year, so choosing an effective vaccine for a child is quite difficult. It is done no later than three weeks before the planned outbreak of influenza. It should be remembered that in weakened people, the vaccine provokes an exacerbation of existing chronic diseases.
What vaccinations are required?
Each country has its own list of vaccines that are mandatory. This is due to the specifics of each region and living conditions. The opinion that a baby under one year old should not be vaccinated is considered incorrect. The argument is that the immune system has not yet strengthened. By the time the baby enters the team, it is necessary to receive a full range of vaccinations. They are in no hurry to take unvaccinated children into kindergarten and school.
If you do not follow the vaccine calendar, then by the time the child enters the team, the entire range of vaccinations must be completed in advance. a short time. The load on immune system. During the period of adaptation in kindergarten and school, the child begins to get sick more often, since the weakened body is not able to overcome viral infections. It should be remembered that some vaccinations are administered three times to properly develop immunity to the disease.
During the first few hours of life, the baby is vaccinated with hepatitis B, which is repeated at 6 months and 1 year. The child endures this vaccination the hardest. Therefore, according to medical indications It can be abandoned until the baby is 5 years old in cases where it was not done in the maternity hospital. During the same period, the baby is given BCG. A child is vaccinated against measles every year.
Next, you need to take DPT, which protects the baby from whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria. As a rule, it is carried out in conjunction with polio vaccination. It is repeated every other year. If you have not been vaccinated against polio, during the revaccination period kindergarten The baby should be excluded from the children's group for 40 days to avoid the possibility of vaccine-associated infection with this disease. At one and a half years old, it is necessary to vaccinate the baby against mumps (mumps).
Adults are not vaccinated as often due to the fact that immunity to infections has already been formed in childhood. At age 24, you are vaccinated against measles and tetanus. Rubella vaccination is recommended for those who were not vaccinated in a timely manner in childhood, as well as for expectant mothers before a planned pregnancy. After 10 years, it is advisable to repeat it in order to develop lifelong resistance to infection.
Vaccination against chickenpox Recommended for people who did not have chickenpox in childhood and have children. A child can bring an infection from the children's group. It is done twice with an interval of 2 months. Adults are required to be vaccinated against hepatitis B every 10 years. Vaccination against pneumococcus is recommended for elderly people. Resistance to infection is developed for 5 years. Optional vaccinations include vaccination against the human papillomavirus. It is recommended for girls 13-14 years old and women up to 40 years old. This category includes vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis, meningococcal infection and yellow fever. These vaccinations are mandatory before traveling to exotic countries.
When should you not get vaccinated?
Vaccination is not given to a sick person. It should be postponed until recovery. It is recommended to vaccinate it approximately 2 weeks after recovery, when the body’s strength is restored after the disease. Vaccinations are not given if:
- there was an allergic reaction to the vaccine;
- weakened immunity;
- encephalopathy developed while performing DPT vaccinations, in this case it is worthwhile to vaccinate without the pertussis component.
If there is a risk of an epidemic, vaccination is recommended. Harm from infectious disease damage to the body is greater than from a reaction to a vaccine. Therefore, it is recommended that vaccination be carried out according to the vaccination plan approved by the Ministry of Health.
Lumps after injections or post-injection infiltration
Compliance with established intervals between vaccinations
Injection is a way to get rid of wrinkles, bags and bruises under the eyes.