Recently, routine vaccination is almost not controlled by the state, in this regard, many prefer not to carry it out at all. Some ailments, including diphtheria and tetanus, are quite rare. For this reason, infection with these seems impossible today, and therefore people neglect the necessary prevention.
Do I need vaccination against these diseases today?
Opinions regarding the need for vaccination of diphtheria and tetanus are divided. Most qualified doctors insist on the need for its implementation, but there are also adherents of naturalistic theories who believe that the human immune system can cope with any infections on its own. Whether to vaccinate against such diseases is decided by the child’s parents or directly by the patient himself if he is already an adult.
The likelihood of contracting these diseases is very low today due to improved sanitary and hygienic living conditions, as well as collective immunity. The latter managed to form because vaccines against diphtheria and tetanus have been used massively for many decades. The number of people with antibodies to infection significantly exceeds the planetary population without them, which, in fact, prevents epidemics.
What are these pathologies dangerous?
Consider the features of diphtheria and tetanus.
The first pathology is a very contagious bacterial lesion, which is provoked by Leffler's special bacillus. Diphtheria bacillus releases a large number of toxins, which cause an increase in inflammation in the oropharynx and bronchi. This leads to obstruction of the respiratory canals and croup, which quickly progresses to asphyxia (it takes from fifteen to thirty minutes to develop it). Without emergency care, the patient is fatal due to suffocation.
How does tetanus begin? The causative agent of this bacterial acute disease (Clostridium tetany coli) enters the body by contact, through deep damage to the skin with the formation of a wound without oxygen. The main thing that tetanus is dangerous for a person is the death of an infected person. The causative agent releases a potent toxin, which causes severe cramps along with paralysis of the heart muscle and respiratory system.
Post-vaccination period
Unpleasant symptoms after entering a prophylactic against diphtheria and tetanus are considered the norm, and not at all pathology. Vaccines in themselves do not contain live pathogens. They include only purified toxins in a minimum concentration sufficient to start the formation of immunity in humans. Thus, to date, there is not a single proven case of the occurrence of threatening consequences when using ADS.
Nevertheless, the post-vaccination period in any case for an adult, however, as well as for a child, will be unpleasant, since it may cause slight soreness, fever, profuse sweating, runny nose, dermatitis, cough and itching.
Contraindications to vaccination
There are situations when vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus is simply required to be postponed, and cases in which it will have to be abandoned at all. The vaccine from the presented pathologies should be moved in the following cases:
- When a patient has been ill with such pathologies as tuberculosis, hepatitis, meningitis for a year.
- In the event that less than two months have passed since the administration of any other vaccine.
- If immune suppressive therapy is given.
- In the event that a person has developed any otolaryngological pathology, relapse of a chronic disease, and so on.
Completely exclude the use of the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine is required if you are intolerant of any of the ingredients of the drug and against the background of the presence of immunodeficiency. Ignoring any medical advice may lead to the fact that after vaccination, the human body will not be able to develop a sufficient number of antibodies in order to neutralize toxins. For these reasons, it is required to consult a physician before the procedure to make sure that there are no contraindications.
Types of vaccines
Vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus differ among themselves according to the incoming active ingredients in their composition. There are medicines designed to prevent only from these dangerous ailments along with complex solutions that additionally protect against the occurrence of whooping cough, polio and other pathologies. Multicomponent injections are prescribed for administration to children and adults who are vaccinated for the first time.
State clinics use one targeted tetanus and diphtheria vaccine called “ADS” or “ADS-m”. Imported counterpart is the "Difference Dt." For children and unvaccinated adults, they recommend “DTP” or complex synonyms, for example, Priorix, Pentaxim or Infanrix.
The first two times inoculate diphtheria, tetanus and polio simultaneously.
Vaccination schedule
Life-long immunity to the diseases under consideration, as a rule, is not formed even if a person has been ill with them. The concentration of antibodies to dangerous bacterial toxins is gradually reduced. For these reasons, the diphtheria vaccine, exactly like tetanus, is repeated at certain time intervals. In case of a missed planned prophylaxis, it is necessary to act according to the initial drug administration scheme.
Vaccination is carried out throughout life, starting from the very infancy. The first vaccination against these dangerous diseases is given to babies at three months old, after which it is repeated twice more every forty-five days. Subsequent revaccinations are carried out at this age:
- In a year and a half.
- Children aged six to seven years.
- Adolescents from fourteen to fifteen years old.
Diphtheria and tetanus vaccination for adults is repeated every ten years. To support the activity of the immune system against these diseases, doctors recommend revaccinating at the age of twenty-five, thirty-five, forty-five, and fifty-five. In the event that since the last injection of the medication more has passed than determined by the vaccination schedule, then three consecutive injections similar to the age of three months will be required.
How should I prepare for the vaccine?
Special events before vaccination is not required. The primary, exactly, as well as the routine vaccination against these diseases, children perform after a preliminary examination by a pediatrician, while measuring body temperature and pressure. At the discretion of the doctor, general tests of urine, blood and feces are taken. In the event that all the physiological parameters of the patient are normal, then the vaccine is administered.
Where to get vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus?
In order to properly assimilate the solution by the body and activate the immune system, an injection is made into a well-developed muscle, characterized by a small amount of adipose tissue around, in connection with this, the buttocks are not suitable in this situation. Toddler injections are made mainly in the thigh. As for adults, they are vaccinated under the shoulder blade. Less commonly, injections are performed into the brachial muscle, but this is only possible if it is of sufficient size and development.
From vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus, side effects are very common. About it below.
Side effects
Negative symptoms after the introduction of the presented vaccine are extremely rare, in most cases the vaccine is tolerated quite well. But it should be borne in mind that sometimes local reactions can occur in the injection area in the form of redness of the epidermis, swelling in the injection area of the drug, and so on. In addition, the following unpleasant symptoms may be observed:
- The appearance of a seal under the skin.
- The occurrence of minor soreness.
- The presence of fever.
- The occurrence of profuse sweating and runny nose.
- The appearance of dermatitis, cough, itching and otitis media.
It is worth noting that all these problems, as a rule, disappear on their own within one to three days. In order to alleviate the condition, consult a doctor about symptomatic therapy. In adults, a similar reaction to a tetanus diphtheria vaccine is observed, but additional manifestations may appear, for example:
- The appearance of headaches.
- The occurrence of lethargy and drowsiness.
- The presence of anorexia.
- The occurrence of a disorder of stool, nausea and vomiting.
How are complications possible after vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus?
Complications
All the above negative manifestations are considered a variant of the standard and natural response of the immune system to the introduction of bacterial toxins. The presence of high temperature after vaccination does not indicate inflammatory processes, but the release of the necessary antibodies to pathogenic components. Dangerous and serious consequences arise only in those cases when the rules for preparing for use of the vaccine are not followed along with medical recommendations for the recovery period. Vaccination of complications provokes in the following cases:
- If you are allergic to any components of the vaccine.
- With contraindications to the introduction of a medication for prevention.
- Against the background of secondary infection of the wound.
- In the case of a needle in the nerve tissue.
The serious consequences of improper vaccination include:
- The appearance of anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema.
- The occurrence of seizures.
- The development of encephalopathy or neuralgia.
Adult vaccine
So, vaccines against diphtheria in our country are made for adults by a single combination vaccine called “ADS-M” every ten years, starting from the last one, performed at the age of fourteen. Further, the same is carried out in the period from twenty-four to twenty-six years, from thirty-four to thirty-six and so on.
In the event that an adult does not remember when he was vaccinated for the last time, then he needs to receive a double vaccination “ADS-M” with an interval of forty-five days and with a single revaccination six to nine months after the second dose.
Diphtheria and tetanus vaccination for children
In order to create immunity against tetanus, all children, starting from the age of three months, are administered tetanus toxoid, which is included in the domestic vaccine called "DTP".
Vaccination is carried out three times with an interval of forty-five and a single revaccination twelve months after the third vaccination, that is, in eighteen months of life. Further, according to the available vaccination calendar, revaccination is carried out with an ADS-toxoid at the age of seven and fourteen. And then every ten years later.
In order to prevent diphtheria in children in Russia, combined vaccines are used in the form of Pentaxim and Infanrix. All vaccine medications that contain diphtheria toxoid are low reactogenic.
Like diphtheria and tetanus, poliomyelitis is no less dangerous.
Polio
This infection is usually caused by specific polio viruses. It is worth noting that in most situations, the disease is asymptomatic or may resemble a mild course similar to a respiratory viral infection. But against the background of this, in about one percent of cases, patients develop an acute form of paralysis of the muscles of the limbs or respiratory tissues (diaphragm) with an irreversible effect, and sometimes it all ends in death.
Specific antiviral therapy for poliomyelitis today does not exist, only symptomatic treatment of complications is carried out. Currently, only two types of polio vaccines are used:
- The use of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV, which is administered by injection).
- The use of live oral polio vaccine (OPV, administered by mouth in drops).
Vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus and polio need to be repeated?
Booster vaccination
According to the national preventive vaccination calendar, revaccination of diphtheria and tetanus, as already noted, is advisable for adults every ten years. Vaccinations are given free of charge under the same conditions, namely in district polyclinics on the basis of a passport and a compulsory medical insurance policy.
Development of diphtheria in vaccinated children
Diphtheria in this case is possible against the background of a decrease in the level of immunity. Reasons for deficient immunity may be violations of the revaccination and vaccination schedule. It is also possible to lower immunity after an infectious pathology. In vaccinated children, toxic forms of the disease are not often observed, diphtheria of the respiratory canals is not observed, and combined severe forms do not occur. Complications are quite rare, and fatal outcomes, as a rule, are not noted.
The unvaccinated
Among unvaccinated children, diphtheria is very difficult, with a predominance of combined and toxic forms. It is possible that complications can occur and often this is fatal. In vaccinated patients, carriage, the predominance of localized forms along with a smooth course and a favorable outcome can be noted.
Thus, tetanus, exactly like diphtheria, are serious pathologies that must be prevented by conducting routine vaccinations.