Vaccination of children against streptococcal infection: what vaccinations are given and how are they tolerated?

Streptococcal infection is a group of microorganisms that are causative agents of a huge number of inflammatory diseases that occur with severe intoxication, dysfunction of internal organs and are often accompanied by complications.

The most susceptible to streptococci are children in the first years of life, whose immune system is not strong enough to fully resist bacterial agents. That is why young patients need additional protection against streptococci, represented by vaccination against a group of diseases associated with these pathological pathogens.

Vaccination against streptococci (pneumococci) is now included in the National Vaccination Calendar and allows you to protect the child’s body from a number of serious pathologies, in particular pneumonia, acute bronchitis, meningitis, as well as otitis media and inflammation of the joints.

Indications and contraindications for vaccination

Immunoprophylaxis of streptococcal infection is indicated for patients of all age categories to prevent the development of diseases etiologically associated with damage to the body by the pathogenic flora of the same name.

First of all, doctors recommend vaccination for young children who:

• there are frequent contacts with a large number of small children (being in a kindergarten or other children's group);
• the immune system is weakened as a result of the presence of chronic diseases, immunodeficiency conditions, anemia, diabetes mellitus, etc.

You should refuse vaccination in the following cases:

• the patient has an individual intolerance to the components of the vaccine;
• presence in the anamnesis of information about the development of an allergic reaction to a previous vaccination against streptococci (pneumococci);
• acute variant of the course of infectious diseases of viral and bacterial origin with an increase in general body temperature, intoxication, catarrhal manifestations, etc.;
• hidden inflammatory processes in the body, confirmed by a blood test done on the eve of the procedure;
• exacerbation of chronic pathologies.

Ignoring the presence of contraindications to vaccination in a patient can result in serious consequences with the development of severe pathological conditions and even the death of a child or adult.

Let us briefly consider the particular manifestations of streptococcal infection.

Scarlet fever. Purple fever was called scarlet fever in the 17th century because of one of its manifestations - a profuse, pinpoint rash. Scarlet fever occurs with high body temperature and severe intoxication. One of the signs of scarlet fever is inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis, tonsillitis). The disease begins acutely with chills, general weakness, headache, sore throat when swallowing, and a rise in body temperature to 38-39˚. 6-12 hours after the onset of the disease, a rash appears, initially more noticeable on the hands, feet, and upper body. The rash reaches its maximum development on the 2-3rd day of the disease, gradually disappearing by the beginning of the second week.

If a person has immunity against streptococcal toxins, then having become infected with this pathogen, the person will get sore throat, not scarlet fever.

Sore throat is an inflammation of the tonsils of the pharynx (most often palatine). It is the previous sore throat, in the absence of antistreptococcal treatment, that more often than other diseases causes the development of autoimmune processes leading to damage to the heart and kidneys. The likelihood of getting a sore throat depends on the state of local immunity of the tonsils: the lower it is, the greater the likelihood of getting a sore throat. A decrease in general immunity under the influence of hypothermia and unfavorable environmental conditions also increases the likelihood of developing a sore throat.

Having overcome the local protective barriers of the tonsils, streptococcus begins to multiply and produce various substances that cause an inflammatory process, which can be catarrhal, follicular, lacunar and necrotic in nature. The penetration of streptococci and their metabolic products through the lymphatic tract into the lymph nodes causes their acute inflammation. If the barrier function of the tissues surrounding the tonsils is insufficient, streptococci can penetrate the tissues around the tonsils, causing their inflammation (the so-called peritonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess), and if they penetrate the blood, they can lead to the development of sepsis. The waste products of streptococci absorbed into the blood cause disruption of thermoregulation, as well as damage to body tissues and, first of all, the central and peripheral nervous system, kidneys, liver, blood vessels, myocardium, and others.

The incubation period for angina is 1-2 days. The onset of the disease is acute. Most often, in the absence of complete health, chills, general weakness, headache, aching joints, and sore throat when swallowing appear. The chill lasts for 15-30 minutes, then a feeling of heat appears. In severe forms of the disease, chills continue for a long time and are repeated the next day. The headache is dull, has no specific localization, and persists for 2-3 days. Aches in the joints and lower back appear almost simultaneously with chills and persist for 1-2 days. The pain in the throat, at first insignificant, bothers you only when swallowing, then gradually intensifies, becomes constant, and reaches its maximum severity on the second day. There is no rash with a sore throat. Tonsils with tonsillitis are enlarged, with a yellow-white purulent coating or white blisters (follicles).

Erysipelas is not an expressive word, but another disease caused by streptococcus. The disease has both general signs of infection - headache, increased body temperature to 39-40˚, chills, weakness, muscle pain, and specific ones - inflammatory damage to skin areas. The area of ​​affected skin rises above healthy skin, has a bright, uniform (red) color and clear boundaries. Depending on the severity of the disease, skin damage may be limited to an area of ​​redness, but, in severe cases, blisters and hemorrhages may appear.

Inflammation of the bone marrow that spreads to all layers of the bone is called osteomyelitis. Streptococcus can be its cause in 6-8% of cases. The disease manifests itself as purulent lesions of the bone marrow. The bone substance dies, an abscess forms, which soon breaks out. The extreme manifestation of streptococcal infection is sepsis. This disease develops in people with severely reduced immunity. From the primary focus, the pathogen is spread by blood throughout the body, new and new foci of infection appear - abscesses in the liver, kidneys, brain, lungs, bones, joints, etc. The disease can take fulminant forms, with the death of the patient within 2-3 days, but it can also last for years (the so-called chroniosepsis).

What is the name of the streptococcal vaccine?

There is currently no vaccine against group A hemolytic streptococcus, which is the causative agent of tonsillitis, purulent tonsillitis, glomerulonephritis, erysipelas or scarlet fever.

Vaccine Prevenar

But today it is possible to get vaccinated against pneumococcal infection, which is a type of streptococcus. There are several WHO-approved vaccines against pneumococcal disease in the world, which are reliable and effective.

Domestic immunologists recognized vaccine suspensions Prevenar and Pneumo-23 as the safest and most recommended drugs. These immune solutions are distinguished by their reliability, minimal number of contraindications and effectiveness.

When are children vaccinated against streptococcal infections?

Vaccination against streptococcal infection (pneumococcus) is given to children who are two months old at the time of the procedure, but not yet five years old.
For adult patients, vaccination is not necessary, since over time the person manages to develop his own immunity against pathogenic agents.

Vaccination against pneumococcal infection has been mandatory for all babies after two months since 2014.

To develop lasting immunity, a child should receive three vaccinations within four months, followed by revaccination a year later. This applies to infants. After one year of age, children are given two doses of the vaccine with repeated vaccination a year later. After two years, the vaccine is given once.

Myasnikov: Covid will return in November, but vaccines will protect against all strains

On June 20, Dr. Myasnikov dedicated his program on the Russia 1 channel to Medical Worker Day and accepted congratulations from his colleagues. In particular, the chief physician of the hospital in Kommunarka, Denis Protsenko. In his “heart and lung” address, he said: “I really hope that we will soon emerge from the covid story.” Alexander Leonidovich dispelled the specialist’s hopes.

“Practice shows that we will not come out soon. I’ll say more than that: we’ll never get out. We are approaching the coronavirus infection incorrectly. We all - doctors, people, and regional leaders - sit and earnestly hope that now we will endure one more effort - and we will win, and we will finish off the enemy in his “fascist lair”, and everything will be as before . It is not right. The coronavirus has come to us forever.”

Myasnikov recalled that in the 1960s the first four varieties of human coronavirus appeared and they were responsible for approximately 30% of all acute respiratory infections. Moreover, if they caused viral pneumonia, the mortality rate was 10%. “They just don’t tell us about it,” the doctor noted. “I’m just saying not to panic, but at the same time understand what we have to do.”

Answering the question of when to expect the next wave, he replied: “In November. There are no options." And in response to bewilderment “why did the new wave start in the summer, it’s warm?”, he said: “This coronavirus follows its own laws in the same way as its predecessors, and they are not all very seasonal - they also happen in the summer.”

Analyzing the morbidity statistics for other countries, the doctor noted that three waves had already been observed everywhere: “We just started two to three months later than in Europe, so this wave was late. It’s going down for them now, but for us it’s going up.”

Recognizing that restrictive measures cannot prevent another wave, Myasnikov emphasizes that they can reduce its intensity and scope. Knowing that there will now be a surge in November, we must vaccinate the population. And since it takes at least a month and a half to develop full immunity after two vaccinations, in order to be fully armed by November, you should be vaccinated no later than September!

The doctor is not sure that herd immunity - when 70 percent or more of people are vaccinated - will work: “Automatically reaching a certain number of vaccinated people does not mean that we will interrupt the spread of the virus between people. I don't think this will happen. But we can vaccinate ourselves, not get sick, get sick asymptomatically, we won’t have a serious illness, we won’t die: this has been proven by comparative studies. There was not a single death or severe course in the vaccinated group.”

Speaking about the so-called Indian strain of coronavirus, Myasnikov said: “Yes, when COVID mutates, it becomes more contagious.” But he urged not to think about it: “Remember one thing: the vaccine protects against all strains of the virus today. All known vaccines cover all strains. Why? The mutation occurs inside the spine. And any vaccine covers the entire thorn. All. And what kind of mutations were inside – Indian, British, South African – the vaccine covers everything.”

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Directions for use and dosage regimen

Vaccines against streptococci are usually administered intramuscularly. For babies in the first two years of life, the vaccine is given in the lateral part of the upper third of the thigh, which minimizes the risk of vaccine fluid getting into the blood vessels or damaging nerve structures.

For children over 24 months of age, the vaccine is injected into the deltoid muscle (upper outer third of the shoulder).

The dosage regimen for vaccinations against streptococcus depends on the type of prophylactic drug and is described in detail in the instructions that come with the vaccine. As a rule, such suspensions are produced in disposable syringes with a sterile needle and are designed to administer one dose of the drug to each individual patient.

Possible adverse reactions and consequences

Like any other vaccination, anti-streptococcal vaccination may be accompanied by adverse reactions and may not always have pleasant consequences.

Some of the most common adverse effects of immunization include:

• the appearance of redness and swelling at the injection site;
• formation of intense infiltration in the affected area;
• a slight increase in general body temperature to 37.5-38 C;
• development of allergies in response to the penetration of foreign material into the patient’s body;
• pain at the injection site;
• periodic nausea, vomiting, indigestion and loss of appetite;
• general malaise and weakness;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• Very rarely, joint pain may occur.

Unfortunately, during the administration of a vaccine, the patient is never immune from the development of complications. Naturally, such consequences are extremely rare.

Complications may include:

• generalized allergic reaction to the administration of the drug in the form of anaphylactic shock or angioedema;
• inflammation of the tissue at the injection site with the formation of a tense abscess;
• the patient develops seizures;
• persistent fever that lasts more than three days and does not respond to antipyretics.

Coronavirus vaccination statistics in Russia

Table of vaccinations by region of Russia for today. Displays the total number of vaccinations, what percentage of the population and the average of vaccinations per day.

Use of streptococcal toxoid as disease prevention

Modern microbiology does not stand still and is constantly developing towards the creation of new immune drugs that will protect humanity from the most dangerous and common infections.

Today it is known that scientists have managed to isolate streptococcal toxoid, which is an inactivated exotoxin of bacteria that can neutralize their toxic effect on the tissues of the human body.

The immune drug is an indispensable tool in the treatment of diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms from the group of streptococci. This medicine allows you to stimulate defense mechanisms and reduce bacterial activity.

Currently, streptococcal toxoid is used only in veterinary medicine for the prevention and treatment of mastitis of purulent origin, inflammation of the skin, pneumonia, and the like.

Price and reviews

Currently, the vaccine against pneumococcal infection is available to the population absolutely free of charge.
The vaccination can be done at the clinic at the place of registration or you can go to a private clinic that has permission to perform this kind of manipulation.

The opinions of doctors and their patients about vaccination against streptococcal infection are controversial.

Despite the fact that manufacturers are confident in the complete safety of the drug, many people report adverse reactions after its administration.

In general, immunologists speak positively about such vaccinations and insist on the need for them, citing facts confirming a decrease in morbidity episodes among vaccinated children compared to the unvaccinated part of them.

How many people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in Russia as of June 20

Coronavirus vaccination statistics in Russia take into account data from operational headquarters to combat the spread of coronavirus infection and official media.

• 34 831 724 (total number of first and second dose vaccine administrations) - the number of vaccinations against coronavirus in Russia.
• 15 232 209 people (10.42% of the population) - the number of people who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus (with two doses of the vaccine).
• 19 599 515 people (13.41% of the population) - the number of people who received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Average data for the last week:

• 154 540 people per day (0.11% of the population) - the number of people fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus per day.
• 286 719 (0.11% of population) - total number of vaccinations (first and second dose) per day.