Do children need vaccinations? What contraindications are there and what do experts think about this. We will tell about everything further.
Vaccination does not protect children from infectious diseases by one hundred percent, but can significantly reduce the risks of the disease in babies in their first year of life. This is important, because the smaller the child, the weaker his immune system. If he becomes ill, then the vaccine made will contribute to the course of the disease in a mild form, severe complications are also excluded. Total vaccinations avoid epidemics.
Do I need vaccinations for a child up to a year old? During this period, the child will have to get fourteen vaccinations (at the same time some of them are done in several stages), and mothers will have to find out many names of these vaccines and decide which one to put and which not. Previously, it was widely believed that such a measure is a one-time procedure. The main thing is to make her a child. But this is wrong: you need to make sure that in response to the vaccine, the baby will develop adequate immunity. Therefore, the scheme should be like this:
- Preparing for vaccination.
- Conducting a vaccination course.
- Checking for effectiveness, for example, by a blood test for antibodies.
Many parents are interested in whether children under one year old should be vaccinated.
There is an opinion that feeding a baby protects against illnesses during the first six to nine months. But this is only partially correct. Of course, the overall immunity of the child in this case is higher. But the exact amount of antibodies that enter the baby’s body with breast milk is not known. Therefore, there is no absolute guarantee of specific protection for the body of the child during breastfeeding.
To understand whether vaccinations are needed for children, we explain that once performed (against measles, mumps), it is necessary to check the effectiveness, regardless of whether the baby has an individual vaccination schedule or standard. Using a blood test for antibodies, it is necessary to find out whether the vaccine made did its direct role. In the event that the antibody titer is intense, then this means that the vaccination was not in vain. True, a blood test for antibodies is quite expensive. Free tests in public medical institutions are very rare, according to indications.
So, we will find out whether children should be vaccinated.
BCG (Mantoux)
In our country, the first BCG vaccine is made in the hospital, on the fourth day after birth. The reason for this rush is the following: this vaccine is intended for tuberculosis, which is a socially significant disease, and at the same time very scary. Immunity against this disease is not inherited, and initially newborns do not have antibodies to it. In addition, subject to vaccination, there is a guarantee that the maximum number of children will be covered by vaccination. Starting it later, the state will be able to instill a significantly smaller number of children, which may affect the global epidemic.
Do I need to get a Mantoux vaccination for a child? Perhaps this early measure is not very relevant when the baby develops in a healthy family, rarely contacting strangers, because in this case he has little chance of getting sick. The accidental interaction of a baby with good immunity with a carrier of tuberculosis, for example, in a subway car, is not at all terrible. But on the other hand, many mothers or fathers can get sick with tuberculosis and, without knowing it, act as bacteria isolators. Parents may think that they have, for example, a smoker's cough, and the child is suddenly diagnosed with tuberculosis.
A month and a half after vaccination, an abscess with a crust forms on the injection site. I must say that it should be so. After some time, the crust itself will disappear, in its place there is a scar that remains for life.
It is worth noting that the BCG vaccination of the child does not completely protect against tuberculosis, its task is to protect the small patient from a severe and fulminant form of the disease. Vaccinated children may well become ill with tuberculosis, but they will tolerate this disease much more easily. Whatever doubts the experts may have today regarding this vaccine, but its viability has been repeatedly confirmed: the incidence of this pathology is gradually decreasing, albeit not at a very fast pace. It is also worth saying that vaccinated babies of the first years of life are very rarely affected by tuberculosis. The incidence to date has shifted towards a later age.
A contraindication to the vaccine in question is the weight of the baby less than two kilograms. It is worth recalling that tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects the lungs and bone system, often leading a person to disability.
We continue to find out whether children need vaccinations.
DTP
The name of this complex vaccine is deciphered as follows: tetanus diphtheria toxoid and pertussis. The first time it is done in three months. DTP is a poorly cleaned vaccine. A good cleansing will make it much more expensive. This is some imperfection of the vaccine in question. True, its danger, which is often mentioned today among the people, is simply incomparable with the volume of carcinogens that people regularly receive with food, from air and water.
So, is it necessary to vaccinate children from this group? The vaccine can effectively protect against severe pertussis. It is worth saying that unvaccinated babies are very ill for them, especially in their first year of life. Without a pertussis ingredient, the vaccine is called ADS; it is performed for weakened children in a similar fashion. In the event that for the first time a child is vaccinated after three years, then they also use ADS. Whooping cough is an infectious disease characterized by a prolonged and debilitating cough along with a general weakening of the body. As a complication, pneumonia often occurs.
Do you need a DTP vaccination for your child, parents often ask. Diphtheria is an infectious disease in which the upper respiratory canals are often affected. Diphtheria microbes can enter the body through any mucous membrane or through skin damage, releasing toxins that affect the nervous system. Diphtheria can be dangerous for young children due to a sharp difficulty in breathing (the fact is that the diphtheria film blocks the air from entering the lungs) and severe intoxication. Tetanus is considered an infectious disease characterized by convulsions of all muscles, including the muscles of the respiratory system, which is very life-threatening.
Polio vaccine (OPV)
Vaccination against this disease is carried out together with DTP. A few drops of the vaccine are dripped into the mouth for babies, which is much more pleasant than injections. Adverse reactions occur quite rarely (with the exception of a digestive system disorder). Poliomyelitis is a serious infectious disease, the complications of which contribute to damage to the nervous system, in the worst case it leads to disability (namely, paralysis).
Do children need measles vaccination?
Against the backdrop of measles vaccination for ten to fourteen weeks, babies in a fairly mild form suffer from this disease. It is worth saying that today there is no other way to instill the younger generation from this disease. The vaccine is lively and it is with this that possible side effects are associated. To avoid them, parents should be attentive to the state of their baby before the vaccination procedure. The absolute health of the child guarantees good tolerability of the LCD vaccine. In the event that the baby is at the initial stage of a disease, the vaccine will not only exacerbate it, but will also add a measles bunch of symptoms in the form of cough, rash and fever.
Measles acts as an infectious pathology characterized by high fever, the appearance of a rash, and a strong cough. Against the background of the development of such an ailment, the lungs are affected, pneumonia quite often occurs as a complication. An even more dangerous consequence is meningitis.
Mumps vaccine
Unfortunately, lively anti-mumps vaccines produced domestically are not perfect. The fact is that the mumps strain, from which the vaccine is made, is very unstable, so it is impossible to achieve a normal number of microbial bodies in a drug. Therefore, one cannot be sure that antibodies have formed in the child’s body, and this is precisely the meaning of any vaccination. Currently, parents have the opportunity to choose a vaccine. Imported analogues are good in that they can be better tolerated and include a three in one form (that is, they help immediately from measles, mumps, rubella).
Mumps is an infectious disease, unpleasant in its course (we are talking about high temperature, pain, discomfort in the neck and throat, difficulty swallowing food and saliva). This disease is dangerous and its consequences, especially in boys against its background, the subsequent development of infertility is possible.
We will also find out if a child needs a flu shot?
Hepatitis & influenza vaccination
The hepatitis B vaccine has recently been integrated into the national calendar system. Thus, for the first time, infants are vaccinated in the first twelve hours of life.
Does hepatitis A vaccine need children? This vaccination in Russia is not mandatory. Do it only with the consent of the parents. The vaccines Avaxim (France) and Haarix (Belgium) are considered the best for immunization and are approved for use. The drugs are almost identical. They contain inactivated virus, do not have allergenic additives. For the formation of stable immunity, one vaccination is enough, and protection is formed for 18-20 months.
In our country, many hepatitis vaccines are certified, all of them are interchangeable. For example, you can start vaccinating babies with one vaccine, continue with another, and end with a third. Hepatitis vaccines are genetically engineered, so there is no risk of contracting this disease. Currently, in our country, teenagers of the seventh and eighth grades are vaccinated in a planned manner.
Does a child need a flu shot? Imported influenza vaccines for infants are made from six months old. These highly purified vaccines are manufactured using high-tech techniques, so they are suitable for weakened children. One nuance is the following: the higher the vaccine is subjected to cleaning (in order to avoid minimal allergic manifestations), the weaker the immunity is developed for the baby on it.
Whether children should be vaccinated against flu is important to decide in advance.
Domestic vaccine called "Influenza" (by the way, excellent) has also been used since six months. There are no analogues in the world, because this vaccine has an immunostimulant in its composition, which is polyoxidonium, which does not allow the development of pronounced temperature reactions. In addition, in children, against the background of its use, nonspecific immunity increases, that is, babies are less affected by otolaryngological pathologies.
Do I need to get a flu shot for children if I don’t have money?
Flu vaccines are paid. But according to special indications, children can be vaccinated in district clinics for free. Hepatitis B is a dangerous disease that affects the liver, children can become infected through the blood, through the placenta during pregnancy and through saliva. Influenza is an infectious disease transmitted by the drip. This pathology is especially dangerous for young children with complications (in the form of pneumonia, otitis media, and so on). Now let's see what are the prohibitions on vaccination for children.
Contraindications
Today, contraindications for vaccinations are few, but still exist:
- The presence of severe progressive disease of the nervous system.
- Expressed in an absolutely inadequate way reactions to previous vaccinations in the form of anaphylactic shock, a state of clinical death. Complications of vaccinations from sisters and brothers of a child or among other family members are generally not taken into account. True, it is logical to expect such a negative manifestation in the fourth baby in the family if all previous vaccines provoked allergic reactions at an early age.
- The development of an acute somatic state of the child at the time of vaccination. In the case of a current cold or an exacerbation of chronic pathologies, vaccination is delayed until complete recovery (plus another two weeks to wait).
Despite such a small number of contraindications and the persistent desire of some health workers to vaccinate babies by any means, common sense will not hinder being guided. In the event that the child is covered with a diathesis crust, or the parents are struggling with dysbiosis, herpes, and thrush (such conditions are themselves considered immunodeficient), then the child should be vaccinated only after consulting with an immunologist and specialists in the field (gastroenterologists, mycologists, etc.) .
An individual calendar will help to avoid many troubles. Services for compiling such calendars are paid, but in most situations for many are available. The main thing for parents about such an opportunity is to know and be able to use it.
Ten years ago, it was considered unnecessary for parents to report possible negative manifestations of the child’s body for vaccinations. Now this information is open. Moms and dads can use this knowledge in different ways: either refuse vaccinations, or be sensitive to their choice and introduction, and at the same time take into account the likelihood of any adverse reactions. In any case, first of all, parents should think and solve this problem, and not shift all responsibility to doctors.
For example, after DTP, an increase in temperature is possible along with redness and compaction at the injection site. For polio vaccines, complications are usually rare, but only if the vaccine is inactive. Domestic live vaccine often provokes in children an intestinal upset with dysbiosis.
Domestic anti-parotitis vaccinations in some babies cause a fever with a runny nose, even convulsions are not excluded. Vaccination against measles causes hyperthermia and rhinitis, a rash is also possible.
Opinions of experts
Many experts are now categorically against vaccinating babies. They note that vaccines are too dangerous in terms of post-vaccination complications. In addition, doctors emphasize that there are too many vaccinations for babies. However, modern vaccinations are too ineffective in terms of direct use. And the danger of the diseases from which vaccinations are given is too exaggerated. Now we find out what the children's doctor Komarovsky thinks about this.
Do children need vaccinations, in his opinion?
Opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
A well-known doctor reports that in modern life, those diseases that created the need for vaccination are becoming less and less. Today, diphtheria, as well as tetanus, are quite rare diagnoses. Therefore, vaccination against these pathologies is becoming less relevant.
Do children need vaccinations? Komarovsky believes that conducting quality vaccines in accordance with established rules is the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. In any case, it is recommended to make a vaccine when the parents have enough common sense to compare, for example, the risk of diphtheria and the risk of vaccination against this disease. Next, we learn from the reviews the parents' opinion on whether to give the child a flu shot or other pathologies.
Reviews
Many parents write in reviews that they are sure that vaccines present a rather clear danger today. After all, this is, first of all, a foreign protein, which must be handled very carefully. , , .
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In the reviews there are frequent complaints about a BCG vaccine, which is done on the third day in the hospital. It will be useful to find out that in no state such live vaccination is carried out, as is done with us. For example, in the US, BCG vaccine is used only for soldiers who intend to serve in endemic areas of tuberculosis.
It is worth noting that for many years, domestic doctors have been active in promoting exclusively specific immunity, that is, vaccinating children against specific pathologies. Without challenging this state of affairs, you need to understand that a child with a high level of immunity not only decreases the risks of post-vaccination complications, but also the chances of catching an infectious disease from which he is vaccinated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth saying that currently vaccinations are not considered mandatory. In this regard, in the event that parents oppose them because of fear of complications, then they can, for example, write a written refusal. A similar statement is written by one of the parents in the name of the chief doctor of the children's clinic (or the maternity hospital, when refusal of vaccination is carried out there).
We examined all opinions regarding whether children need vaccinations.