Modern medicine in the twentieth century was able to defeat many deadly diseases, a significant role in this was played by preventative methods, such as vaccinations. What is a vaccine and when should it be used? Let's talk about this burning topic, because many consider the introduction of vaccines into the human body an absolutely ineffective method of preventing diseases.
The definition of the term "vaccine"
So what is a vaccine? In essence, such drugs are biologically active, their main task is to protect the body from viral and other pathologies. The principle of vaccination is quite simple, it creates immunity from the disease before infection. In the future, at the time of a real danger to health, the human body already has the ability to resist pathogens and even defeat them. Vaccination must meet the following requirements:
- Do not adversely affect health.
- Provide a long, lasting immunity.
- Stimulate antibody production.
The main existing varieties of vaccines
Answering the question of what a vaccine is, it is impossible not to mention its main varieties. Such information is of a special medical nature and is rarely used in everyday life, however, in some cases, it may be useful to many:
- Combined . The most famous representative of this category is DTP, an injection from several dangerous ailments at once - whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria. Such drugs provide comprehensive protection.
- Alive . In domestic medicine, polio, tuberculosis, plague, and many others fall under this section. The composition of such drugs includes live, but weakened strains of viruses and microorganisms, which in real life can provoke the diseases listed above. When introduced into the human body, they provoke an extremely weak degree of the disease and the formation of long-term immunity.
- Inactivated . Unlike living ones, they are created on the basis of killed strains. An example of such a vaccine is rabies remedies. Such drugs are less effective, but with repeated planned administration they also form the necessary protection.
- Chemical . This category includes cholera, typhoid fever. They are a mixture of unique antigens, proteins, lipids and other components. Introduced by the course, in a fairly large amount.
General vaccination information
Now that you know what a vaccine is and what it is, it's time to talk about specific vaccines that are recommended by the domestic health system from the first days of life to anyone. It is worth noting that each country has its own vaccination schedule. It depends on the situation existing in it, features, WHO norms and even financial issues.
The introduction of vaccines in our country is provided from the first days of a baby’s life. Injections are carried out first in the maternity hospital, then in the children's and adult polyclinic, respectively. Mandatory vaccines are a free service for the population, however, depending on their own beliefs, a person can refuse them (for himself and his minor child).
What vaccination is the first in a row?
The national vaccination calendar includes 10 compulsory events; preparations for their implementation are made in our country. If desired, patients can undergo injections based on foreign products (usually at their own expense).
The first vaccination is given to the baby immediately after birth, he is given a drug for viral hepatitis B. In the future, the injection will be repeated for the first and sixth month of life. A similar drug is highly desirable for each person and is mandatory for representatives of the risk group. Do not neglect the vaccine, believing that hepatitis in this group is the lot of marginalized people, you can catch it in everyday conditions (for example, in a hairdresser).
What diseases are vaccinated in our country?
Let's talk about what other ailments the injections offered by the state can help. Mandatory vaccinations are represented by vaccines for the following diseases:
- Tuberculosis (BCG, does not provide guarantees of protection against infection, but facilitates the course of the disease).
- Tetanus (can be introduced both separately and as part of the comprehensive vaccines DTP, DTP ).
- Diphtheria.
- Whooping cough.
- Polio.
- Measles.
- Rubella.
- Mumps (mumps).
Vaccination in full should be completed by 20 months of the child's life. Repeated injections are subsequently carried out over a significant period of time closer to 6, and then 14 years. Some children are vaccinated on an individual schedule.
What other diseases are vaccinated against?
However, there are not only mandatory vaccinations, but also injections recommended for administration. So, children with poor health are recommended additional injections from pneumococcus. As a rule, such measures are appropriate if, at an early age, the child often suffers from diseases of the throat, bronchitis, and various colds. Such therapeutic vaccines are considered recommended and mandatory in European countries, in Russia they are prescribed for the most part precisely according to indications. In addition to the above list, the following vaccinations are most often carried out in our country:
- From hemophilic bacillus.
- From the flu.
- From chickenpox (chicken pox).
How to determine the need for an additional injection?
Recommended injections are determined primarily by the epidemiological situation in the region. These types of medications include drugs for rabies, typhoid fever, or tick-borne encephalitis. It is also necessary to visit the clinic for additional vaccination if you are temporarily planning to go to a dangerous area from the point of view of these diseases. When traveling abroad, information on vaccinations compulsory for a particular country should be clarified not only by a therapist, but also by a travel agency.