Consultation for parents “The need for preventive vaccinations.” consultation on the topic

Consultation for parents “The need for preventive vaccinations.” consultation on the topic

Consultation for parents

"The need for preventive vaccinations."

Infectious diseases continue to claim lives, leaving many crippled and disabled. On average, about 1.7 million children around the world die each year from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination. Measles, which is considered one of the leading causes of child mortality worldwide, claimed more than 4.5 thousand young lives in the countries of the European Region in 2003. According to the World Health Organization, rubella cripples almost 300 thousand children every year.

You need to know that only preventive vaccinations can protect your child from diseases such as polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, tetanus, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella.

What are the dangers of diseases, vaccinations against which are included in the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations in Russia?

Poliomyelitis (or infantile paralysis) is an acute infectious disease primarily affecting the central nervous system, primarily the spinal cord. The disease leads to the development of paralysis, leading the sick child to disability.

Acute hepatitis B is a severe infectious disease characterized by inflammatory liver damage. Viral hepatitis B transmitted at an early age in 50-95% of cases becomes chronic, leading subsequently to liver cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. The younger the age at which infection occurs, the higher the likelihood of becoming a chronic carrier of the virus.

Tuberculosis is a disease that affects the lungs and bronchi, but other organs can also be affected. With tuberculosis, the development of generalized forms, including tuberculous meningitis, resistant to anti-tuberculosis drugs, is possible.

Whooping cough is an infectious disease of the respiratory tract. Damage to the lungs (bronchopneumonia), especially in infancy, is dangerous. A serious complication is encephalopathy, which, due to the occurrence of seizures, can lead to death or leave behind permanent damage, deafness or epileptic seizures.

Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease characterized by toxic damage to the body, mainly the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as a local inflammatory process with the formation of fibrin plaque. Complications of diphtheria such as infectious-toxic shock, myocarditis, mono- and polyneuritis, including damage to the cranial and peripheral nerves, damage to the adrenal glands, and toxic nephrosis are possible.

Tetanus - affects the nervous system and is accompanied by high mortality due to paralysis of the respiratory tract and heart muscle.

Measles is a disease that can cause the development of otitis media, pneumonia that cannot be treated with antibiotics, and encephalitis. The risk of severe complications and death is especially high in young children.

Mumps (mumps) - the disease can be complicated by serous meningitis, and in some cases inflammation of the pancreas. Mumps is one of the causes of male and female infertility, as the virus can infect the testicles and ovaries.

Rubella is a great danger for pregnant women, who can become infected from sick children. Rubella disease in pregnant women very often leads to the development of multiple fetal deformities, miscarriages and stillbirths.

Today, vaccinations have become firmly established in our lives as a highly effective means of preventing dangerous infectious diseases, which have negative consequences in the form of complications, or even death. In modern medical practice, they are done either with the aim of creating immunity to dangerous infections, or to treat an infected person at an early stage. Accordingly, all vaccinations are usually divided into preventive and therapeutic. Basically, a person is faced with preventive vaccinations, which are given in childhood, and then re-immunization is carried out if necessary. An example of therapeutic vaccination is the administration of antitetanus serum, etc. What are preventive vaccinations? Preventive vaccinations are a method of immunizing a person against certain infectious diseases, during which various particles are introduced into the body that can lead to the development of stable immunity to pathology. All preventive vaccinations involve the administration of a vaccine, which is an immunobiological preparation. The vaccine is a weakened whole microbe - pathogens, parts of the shells or genetic material of pathogenic microorganisms, or their toxins. These components of the vaccine cause a specific immune reaction, during which antibodies are produced against the causative agent of the infectious disease. Subsequently, it is these antibodies that provide protection against infection. Today, all preventive vaccinations are classified into:

1. Planned.

2. Conducted according to epidemiological indications.

Routine vaccinations are given to children and adults at a certain time and at a specific age, regardless of whether an epidemic focus of infection has been identified in a given region or not. And vaccination for epidemiological reasons is given to people located in a region in which there is a danger of an outbreak of a dangerous infectious disease (for example, anthrax, plague, cholera, etc.). Among the scheduled vaccinations, there are those that are mandatory for everyone - they are included in the national calendar (BCG, MMR, DPT, against polio), and there is a category of vaccines that are administered only to people at risk of contracting infections due to the specifics of their work (for example, against typhoid, tularemia , brucellosis, rabies, plague, etc.). All scheduled vaccinations are carefully worked out, the timing of their administration, age and time are established. There are developed schemes for the administration of vaccine preparations, combination possibilities and the sequence of immunization, which is reflected in regulations and guidelines, as well as in vaccination calendars. Preventive vaccination of children For children, preventive vaccinations are necessary to protect vulnerable children from dangerous infectious diseases that can be fatal even when treated with modern high-quality drugs. The entire list of preventive vaccinations for children is developed and approved by the Russian Ministry of Health, and then, for ease of use, is drawn up in the form of a national calendar. In addition to those indicated in the national calendar, there are a number of preventive vaccines that are recommended for administration to children. The recommendation for vaccination is given by the child’s attending physician based on an analysis of the child’s health status. Some regions also introduce their own vaccinations, which are necessary because the epidemiological situation for these infections is unfavorable and there is a risk of an outbreak.

The importance of preventive vaccinations. Despite the different structure of possible components for a specific vaccine, any vaccination is capable of creating immunity to infection, reducing the incidence and prevalence of pathology, which is its main purpose. The active components of the drugs, in response to introduction into the body of any person, cause a reaction from his immune system. This reaction is in all respects similar to that which develops when infected with an infectious disease, but much weaker. The meaning of such a weak reaction of the immune system in response to the administration of the drug is that special cells are formed, which are called memory cells, which provide further immunity to infection. Memory cells can remain in the human body for varying periods of time - from several months to many years. Memory cells that live only a few months are short-lived, but vaccination is necessary to form a different type of memory cell - long-lived. Each such cell is formed only in response to a specific pathogenic microorganism, that is, a cell formed against rubella will not be able to provide immunity to tetanus. The formation of any memory cell, whether long-lived or short-lived, requires a certain period of time - from several hours to a whole week. When the causative agent of a disease enters the human body for the first time, all manifestations of the infection are caused precisely by the activity of this microbe. During this period, the cells of the immune system “get acquainted” with the pathogenic microbe, after which B lymphocytes are activated, which begin to produce antibodies that have the ability to kill the pathogen microorganism. Each microbe requires its own special antibodies. Recovery and relief of the symptoms of infection begins only from the moment when antibodies are developed and the destruction of the pathogenic microorganism begins. After the microbe is destroyed, some of the antibodies are destroyed, and some become short-lived memory cells. B lymphocytes that produced antibodies go into the tissue and become those very memory cells. Subsequently, when the same pathogenic microbe enters the body, the memory cells available against it are immediately mobilized, producing antibodies that quickly and effectively destroy the infectious agent. Since the pathogen is quickly destroyed, an infectious disease does not develop. It makes no sense to vaccinate against infections that the human body can cope with. But if the infection is dangerous, the mortality rate of sick people is very high, it is necessary to vaccinate. Vaccinations are simply a carrier of the antigen of a microbe - a pathogen, for which memory cells are produced. When contracting a dangerous infection, there are two possible outcomes - recovery with the formation of immunity, or death. Vaccination ensures the formation of this immunity without mortal risk and the need to endure a severe infection with extremely painful symptoms. It is quite natural that in response to vaccination, the process of formation of memory cells during activation of the immune system is accompanied by a number of reactions. The most common reactions are at the injection site, and some are general (for example, fever for several days, weakness, malaise, etc.).

If you still have doubts about the need for preventive vaccinations, do not rush to sign a waiver. First, consult with your doctor, collect complete information about the danger of an infectious disease, the need for vaccination, the consequences of refusing it, possible post-vaccination reactions and complications.

Calendar of preventive vaccinations for children

Every year until the age of 15, a child undergoes tuberculin diagnostics (Mantoux test)

Vaccination protects human health at every stage of life