The harm to streptococcal bacteria for the human body has long been proven. Under normal health conditions, when the immune system is not weakened, they do not have a negative effect on a person. But otherwise, streptococci can become the causative agents of a number of serious diseases.
However, today there are many opportunities to protect your body from their pathogenic effects. One way is the Prevenar vaccine. Side effects, indications, contraindications to which we will consider in the article. And also get acquainted with the reviews of those who vaccinated their children.
Streptococcal infections
What is the Prevenar vaccine used for (will we discuss the side effects of vaccination below)? For the prevention of diseases that can be triggered by streptococcal pathogens.
In particular, these bacteria cause the following in the human body:
- Pharyngitis.
- Tonsillitis.
- Bronchitis.
- Pneumonia.
- Scarlet fever.
- Meningitis. An inflammatory process that develops in the membranes of either the spinal cord or the brain.
- Glomerulonephritis. Inflammation of the renal glomerular apparatus.
- Erysipelas of the skin. This refers to an acute infectious disease of the skin, in which it acquires an intense red color. The patient notes a high body temperature, as well as severe pain in the affected areas of the skin.
What kind of vaccine is this?
The Prevenar vaccine, whose side effects are of interest to many parents, helps the human body develop immunity against pneumococcus. This particular type of streptococcus that causes pneumonia in people is pneumonia.
This disease affects both adults and children. In relation to newborns and babies, it is dangerous death. Although inherently a treatable disease. The danger here is that many varieties of pneumococcus are resistant (immune) to modern antibiotic drugs. A fatal outcome is possible with complications of pneumonia in the absence of a full adequate treatment.
The composition of the vaccine
Side effects, reviews of parents about the vaccine "Prevenar" we will provide below. First, determine the composition of this vaccine. It is important to note that the Prevenar product is currently discontinued. Instead, a full-fledged analogue is released - Prevenar 13.
In its composition, it is a polysaccharide adsorbed pneumococcal vaccine. Manufactured by Pfizer, based in the United States. The composition of the vaccine is as follows:
- Pneumococcal agents.
- Carrier proteins.
- Polysaccharides of certain serotypes.
- Purified water for injection.
- Aluminum phosphate.
- Sodium chloride.
As for Prevenar, it contains the polysaccharides of the following serotypes: 4, 14, 6B, 9V, 18C, 19F, 23F. They, pneumococcal agents, and carrier proteins are the most important components of a vaccine. They indicate which strains (varieties) of pneumococci this vaccine is able to protect. They initiate the production of antibodies by the human body against specific pathogenic bacteria. The rest of the vaccine filling is supplements and stabilizers.
It is necessary?
In addition to the side effects of the Prevenar vaccine, parents also want to know whether such vaccination is mandatory for children. For a long time, the appeal to this vaccine was only advisory in nature. The vaccine could be delivered to the child at the request of the parents in the children's clinic on a paid basis.
In 2014, the situation has changed. Anti-pneumococcal drugs were included in the list of mandatory vaccinations. Therefore, in clinics, a child can be given a similar vaccination for free. But in this case it will not be Prevenar, but its French counterpart - Pnevmo 23.
Indications for vaccination
Side effects in children from the Prevenar vaccine are possible, as with any vaccination. But here it should be noted that such a vaccine is not shown to every patient who wants to protect themselves from pneumonia.
Indications for use of "Prevenara" are as follows:
- Premature babies.
- Age to two years.
- Frequently and permanently ill children (sometimes having chronic forms of respiratory diseases) up to 5 years.
- Toddlers suffering from various allergic reactions.
- Children who have been diagnosed with the following common infectious diseases: diabetes mellitus, HIV infection, cirrhosis of the liver, pathology of the respiratory, vascular system, heart.
Usually, Prevenar is not prescribed for adults and children over 5 years of age. This is due to the fact that their body is already capable of independently producing antibodies to pneumococci. In the case of the vaccine, the already desired immune response does not come out. As for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, no experimental studies have been conducted on how safe such vaccination will be for the health of mothers and children.
Instructions for use of the drug
The side effects of the Prevenar vaccine are directly stated in the instructions for this tool. Vaccination is carried out only intramuscularly. The location for the injection is either the deltoid muscle of the shoulder (if the child is older than two years), or the anterolateral thigh (for babies aged two months to two years).
The Prevenar vaccination schedule is as follows:
- In the case when the child was first vaccinated at 2 months, then he will be assigned two more vaccinations. Injections are administered at intervals of one month. Accordingly, the baby will be shown three vaccinations - at 2, 3, 4 months. As for revaccination, it is recommended that it be carried out between 12-15 months of life.
- In the case when the child was first vaccinated at the age of 7-11 months, the scheme is already different. He is given two injections at a dosage of 0.5 ml after a month. A revaccination plan in 2 years.
- In the event that the child is from 12 to 23 months old, the drug "Prevenar" is administered to him twice in the usual dosage, observing a gap of two months.
- If the child is older than two years, then he is shown a single vaccination. "Prevenar" is administered in a standard dosage. In this case, there is no need for revaccination.
It is worth noting that standard vaccination regimens are shown here. Each child, his pediatrician must draw up an individual schedule of vaccinations based on their compatibility, the state of health of the baby.
Side effects of the Prevenar vaccine in a child
Like many other vaccines, this has a definite effect on the body. The side effects of the Prevenar vaccine are as follows:
- Fever.
- Approximately 1/3 of those vaccinated showed a local painful reaction at the injection site. If the vaccine was administered into the arm, then additional weakness in the limb was noted.
- Among the side effects of the Prevenar 13 vaccine, both local and general allergic reactions can be distinguished.
- An increase in one or another group of lymph nodes.
- A side effect of the Prevenar 13 vaccination for children is preservation of nervousness, irritability, tearfulness, lethargy and drowsiness for a short time.
- At the injection site, a seal may form, reddening of the skin may appear. This reaction is not typical for babies, but for older children.
- Impaired appetite. In some cases, nausea and vomiting are observed.
- Komarovsky’s side effects of the Prevenar vaccine include seizures and apnea. But it should be noted that these are quite rare reactions. Temporary respiratory arrest can only be observed in children with an underdeveloped respiratory system.
- Among the most serious consequences of vaccination are the following: bronchospasm, anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema.
According to reviews, the side effects of the Prevenar vaccine are difficult to determine. This is due to the fact that the drug is often administered in conjunction with other vaccines (DTP). It is not easy to figure out which of them caused a negative reaction.
What to do with side effects of the Prevenar vaccine? The most important recommendation is that the vaccinated child after the injection should remain under medical supervision for half an hour. In case of manifestation of serious adverse reactions of the body, he will be promptly provided with the necessary assistance.
But what to do with the side effects of the Prevenar vaccine if they begin to appear already at home? If any complications are noted, if they do not go away on their own during the day, you must definitely call a pediatrician at home. In the case when the child has incessant vomiting, bronchospasm, Quincke's edema, respiratory arrest or other serious consequences of vaccination, you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Vaccination preparation
Now you know about the side effects of the Prevenar vaccine in children. We will also present the recommendations of doctors regarding preparation for such a vaccination:
- Before vaccination, a child’s examination with a pediatrician is mandatory. In addition, you must pass all the tests prescribed by the doctor. Based on their results, he decides on the admission of the child to vaccination.
- So that side effects from the Pentaxim and Prevenar vaccinations do not manifest themselves at the same time, it is not recommended to bathe the child after vaccination. It is also advisable not to wet the injection site itself.
- After vaccination, it is advisable for the child to take a walk in the fresh air, if weather conditions permit. Of course, this should be an unhurried walk, not active games. It is advisable to avoid crowded places in order to exclude contact with infected people.
- If the baby is breast-fed, then before and after vaccination, it is not advisable for the mother to introduce new or exotic dishes into her diet. As for older children, some restrictions on their nutrition are not needed.
Contraindications
Reviews of the side effects of the Prevenar vaccine in children will be presented below. Now let’s draw your attention to the fact that this is a prescription vaccine. Therefore, the child can be given such a vaccine only on the basis of the appointment from the attending physician.
Prevenar vaccination is contraindicated in the following cases:
- A child suffers from an acute infectious disease.
- The patient has an exacerbation of a chronic disease.
- Age up to two months and older than five years.
Look at the liquid itself in the ampoule - it should be homogeneous, without impurities. It is assumed that during storage a slight precipitate of light color may form. However, with vigorous shaking of the container, it should completely dissolve.
If this did not happen, inclusions remained in the liquid, and the precipitate fell to the bottom of the ampoule with flakes, then this vaccine is not recommended for vaccinating a child. If all these rules are observed, then side effects from vaccination will be minimized.
Analogues of the drug
In the article, we analyze what the Prevenar vaccine is from, side effects, and reviews about the drug. No less important will be the full analogues of this tool:
- "Pneumo 23".
- "Prevenar 13" (from the usual "Prevenar", this remedy is distinguished by the fact that it helps to develop the body's immunity from more pneumococci).
- Sinflorix.
Which of these options is better? It is difficult to give a definite answer. The main reason is that pneumococcal vaccines have recently become mandatory in Russia, which is why doctors do not yet have sufficient data to compile a complete statistical picture.
It’s hard to say which of the indicated vaccines is better. But it can be noted that they have been represented on the pharmacological market for more than a dozen years. And they managed to positively recommend themselves for this time.
Positive feedback from parents
We examined why the Prevenar vaccine is a side effect. Feedback is the last important topic to be presented in the article. They can not be called unambiguous. For each child, the effects of vaccination are individual.
We will present positive reviews about this vaccine against pneumococci:
- Vaccination is indispensable when adapting a child to kindergarten. Without vaccination, he immediately undergoes infectious diseases up to pneumonia. After vaccination with Prevenar, as parents say, children become less susceptible to SARS, suffer less from a cold and a runny nose, not to mention serious respiratory illnesses.
- Parents write that vaccination saves not only from pneumococci, but also from other pathogens, streptococci. In particular, children stop suffering from chronic otitis media, bronchitis and pharyngitis with a strong exhausting cough.
- There are authors of reviews who call vaccination salvation for their child. If before vaccination he was susceptible to all possible infections that could not be cured without antibiotics, then after vaccination the situation radically changed in a positive direction. This change is due to the fact that the child’s body simply did not have antibodies that help cope with known viral diseases. This phenomenon can, oddly enough, be observed with normal, non-suppressed immunity. Vaccination helps to develop the necessary antibodies, as a result of which the body gets the opportunity to cope with infections on its own.
- Parents consider such a child’s reaction to the vaccine as lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, completely normal. This is just a good sign - it means that the vaccine has worked. The child’s body began to fight against “training” pathogens, the necessary antibodies are actively produced.
- Some children do not have a visible negative reaction to the vaccine. Only slight redness at the injection site. This again confirms that the reaction of different people to the same vaccine can be fundamentally different. Also, the cause of the negative side effect may be an incomplete, poor-quality examination of the baby before vaccination. Perhaps the pediatrician missed important contraindications to the Prevenar vaccine.
- The authors of the reviews advise the parents themselves to properly prepare their child for vaccination so that it goes as painlessly as possible. Be sure to donate blood for analysis, protect the baby from hypothermia, in order to prevent it, give him antihistamines. And for vaccination, come to the clinic only on Healthy Children's Day.
- Some parents advise making a vaccine in a paid clinic, choosing vaccines of only imported production. As for antihistamines, give these funds 3 days before and 3 days after vaccination. Do not walk with your child in cold weather, do not contact with possibly infected children and adults, do not wet the wound from an injection. Then the consequences of vaccination will be minor and painless. However, it must be remembered that these are recommendations of non-specialists, not qualified pediatricians.
Negative reviews
Now let's review the negative reviews on the use of the Prevenar vaccine:
- Many parents note that the child has a fever more than a day after vaccination. He remains tearful, irritable and lethargic.
- There are reviews that at the injection site the child formed a seal, which then had to be removed under anesthesia. However, such reactions to vaccination are sporadic.
- There are many responses in which parents note that the health of the child has noticeably worsened after vaccination. It all started with a severe reaction to the vaccine. , . , , , .
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Whether to vaccinate their child with Prevenar, or to refuse vaccination, each parent decides independently. It must be borne in mind that side effects cannot be avoided. However, the intensity of their manifestation is individual - it is impossible to predict.