Disease history
The second name of polio is infantile spinal paralysis, which affects children aged 5 months to 6 years. Poliomyelitis
is a highly contagious disease. It is caused by a polyvirus that can be transmitted by airborne droplets, insects, and dirty hands or food. Moreover, the polyvirus can exist in the external environment for almost six months; it tolerates drying and freezing well.
What is immunity
Immunity protects not only from microbes, but also from everything foreign in general: parasites, viruses, foreign tissues, and even one’s own cells altered by the oncological process. Alexey Agafonov, a researcher at the allergology department of the clinic of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, talks about how immunity works.
If a person has had polio asymptomatically, he becomes invisible to others, but a very dangerous
carrier of the infection
.
The polio virus infects
the gray membrane of the spinal cord and motor nerve cells. Most often, the disease ends in the death of some nerve cells, paralysis of individual muscle groups and their atrophy. In most cases, a person who has recovered from polio becomes severely disabled.
Causes of development and forms of vaccine-associated polio in children and adults
This type of infection develops in immunized patients with immunodeficiency and in cases of contact with vaccinated children.
Vaccine-associated poliomyelitis in immunodeficient children
One of the main reasons for the development of post-vaccination complications is a decrease in immunity (state of immunodeficiency) in children at the time of vaccination using the live Sebin vaccine. Undiagnosed immunological deficiency during the vaccination period can lead to the development of flaccid paralysis - vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP).
Vaccine-associated polio in unvaccinated children
One of the reasons for the development of post-vaccination complications is the use of live oral polio vaccine (OPV) in previously unvaccinated children against the background of immunodeficiency.
VAP after the first vaccination
A post-vaccination complication develops in one child out of 150 thousand vaccinated against polio with OPV after the first vaccination.
Contact route of spread of vaccine-associated polio
After vaccination using OPV, children pose a danger to adults and children around them, as they are potential carriers of the polio virus. The fecal-oral route is the main route of infection. Such cases of complications often develop in groups and families with many children. Ordinary hygiene (frequent washing of hands, potties and toys) and separation of children not vaccinated against polio or not vaccinated 3 times with children vaccinated with OPV for a period of 2 months will prevent the development of the disease. Immunodeficient children vaccinated with OPV release viruses into the external environment for much longer.
The ability of weakened polioviruses to regain virulence properties
One of the reasons for the development of vaccine-associated polio is the peculiarity of some viruses, when changing their environment (passage through the intestines), to regain virulent properties and infect neurons of the spinal cord.
"Wild" alien
Polio was a real scourge among the inhabitants of Europe and North America until the 50s of the last century, when scientists finally created an effective vaccine
against it.
It is believed that polio was almost completely eradicated in the Soviet Union by 1961. However, in 2010, the largest outbreak of polio
- more than 700 people fell ill, and 26 of them died.
The virus penetrated across the border into Russia, which was until now considered a country free from this disease. The so-called wild strain
of the virus, characteristic of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, is rampant.
Why is polio dangerous?
Most infections (>95%) are asymptomatic, but antibodies are produced. If there are signs of illness, there are different pictures of the disease:
· Abortive polio: inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (gastroenteritis), fever, nausea, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches without central nervous system involvement.
· Non-paralytic poliomyelitis (aseptic meningitis): inflammation of the meninges without paralysis.
· Paralytic polio (1 in 200 infections) with typical symptoms of paralysis: independent breathing may become impossible and lifelong use of mechanical ventilation may be required. Paralysis can also lead to death.
Even decades after infection, post-poliotic syndrome may occur. There is no cure for polio. Only symptomatic therapy is prescribed to eliminate discomfort.
New disease - old vaccine
Since there were no cases of polio in Russia until 2010, only inactivated vaccine
, which does not contain live viruses, was used to vaccinate children.
It was administered by injection in the first and second years of life, and then repeated at 14 years of age. But, unfortunately, the “killed vaccine” is not very effective against the wild virus. Therefore, from 2011, from the age of six months, babies will be vaccinated with a “live” vaccine
, which has practically not been used since polio was defeated in our country.
The transition to a “live” vaccine, according to specialists from the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, is necessary for children to develop immunity
to the “wild” strain of the polyvirus. But at the same time, the first two vaccinations at 3 and 4.5 months will be given to babies with an inactivated vaccine.
What to do if the schedule has shifted due to a lack of vaccines
Doctors do not recommend starting a new series of vaccinations if a shot has been missed, no matter how much time has passed. It is necessary to administer doses that are not enough according to the schedule, and in compliance with the minimum intervals between them.
It is worth noting that there is also such a thing as additional unscheduled vaccination. It is carried out if a child under three years of age does not have a vaccination card, therefore, he is considered unvaccinated and is prescribed three vaccinations at a monthly interval (children of six years of age are given three vaccinations at an interval of a month and revaccination is given after thirty days).
If a child or teenager has arrived from an area with a polio epidemic or is planning to go there, they must also be vaccinated.
Another indicator for unscheduled polio vaccination is an outbreak of the disease. In total, every person should be vaccinated against polio at least six times in their lifetime.
Is a “live” vaccine dangerous?
“There is no risk of getting polio as a result of vaccination after such a vaccination,” explains Susanna Kharit, a leading specialist in vaccine prevention at the Research Institute of Childhood Infections of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia. In accordance with the National Vaccination Calendar introduced in 2011, the first two vaccinations are carried out using “killed” strains. This provides protection
against complications, since after these vaccinations children develop immunity to all three strains of the virus included in the “live” vaccine. After this it becomes completely safe. This scheme has been used for many years in various countries on the recommendation of WHO and has shown its effectiveness.
Advantages and disadvantages
Polio vaccination is usually given in infancy as part of basic immunization, along with the other five routine vaccinations. Poliomyelitis is a serious infectious disease, which in its development stage leads to disability if the gray matter of the spinal cord is damaged. Benefits of polio vaccination:
· allows you to avoid infection and prevent disability, skeletal deformities and paralysis;
· the vaccinated person develops immunity from the disease, so even if infected, the child will tolerate the disease much easier;
· Adverse reactions after vaccination are mostly absent.
Many believe that the vaccine has shortcomings that result in the development of the disease polio. But the probability of such an outcome is no more than 1 case in 2.7 million people.
Vaccination is not dangerous to the life and health of the child. The goal is to protect against future infection by creating a barrier against infection. The most harmless is the inactive vaccine.
The most important
In 2010, an uninvited guest appeared in our country - a “wild” strain of the polio virus.
To prevent children at risk - aged 5 months to 6 years - from becoming infected, starting in 2011 they will be vaccinated with a “live” vaccine. If all vaccinations from birth are done on time, this vaccine does not pose any danger to the child. Tags:
- Safety
- Babies
- Immunity
- Vaccinations
2 comments • To leave a comment you must be an authorized user
- dubinina081275 I'm shocked!
- cherkas-lyubov85 I am generally against vaccinations!! Why don't they talk about complications after vaccinations?? But children from vaccinations become disabled not from illness, but from your vaccines!!
Reason for vaccination
Content:
- Reason for vaccination
- Vaccination schedule
- What to do if the schedule has shifted due to a lack of vaccines
- Possible side effects after polio vaccination
Poliomyelitis is one of the oldest human diseases that affects the nervous system, and as a result, a person can remain disabled.
The entry point for the virus is the digestive system, so in most cases the disease occurs with catarrh of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal disorders and, unfortunately, paralysis develops in 1 out of 200 infected people. Paralysis covers only part of the muscles, while the function of the other part is preserved, severe pain forces a person to take a forced position, irreversible changes occur - contractures and deformities of the limbs and parts of the body.
What is a bivalent vaccine? Why is the whole world switching from 3 to 2 valent polio vaccine?
There are three known strains of the polio virus: type I - Brunnhilde strain, type II - Lansing strain, type III - Leon strain. Therefore, until recently, a trivalent vaccine containing these three strains was used throughout the world.
The cessation of the use of trivalent and the transition to the use of bivalent vaccine is due to the exclusion of type II poliovirus from the polio vaccine, in which WHO no longer sees a threat, since this strain of poliovirus has been eradicated throughout the world. As of April 17, 2021, 150 countries simultaneously switched from trivalent to bivalent inactivated polio vaccine.
What is the difference between inactivated and oral polio vaccines? IPV - inactivated polio vaccine - contains inactivated, that is, killed, polio pathogens. IPV is administered by intramuscular injection (shot). OPS - oral polio vaccine - contains live but weakened polio pathogens and is administered in the form of drops through the mouth. They try to get the first polio vaccine as early as possible, namely for newborns from the age of three months.
Tips for parents
If a child often has allergic reactions or is allergic, then vaccination is possible only during the period of remission. There is no need to use any medications before administering the vaccine.
If your child experiences the following symptoms after vaccination, you should consult a doctor:
· appearance of signs of acute respiratory infections (runny nose, cough, etc.);
· dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract;
· shortness of breath, decreased muscle tone of the limbs.
We are talking about signs of vaccine-associated polio, which may appear 4-30 days after OPV administration. A visit to the pediatrician is necessary if there is an irregular heartbeat, urticaria or severe headaches.
After vaccination, it is recommended to avoid visiting crowded places. The child should be given more purified water to drink, and allergenic foods should be excluded from the diet.
Vaccinations for adults
If we are talking about immunization of adults, it is carried out according to the following schedule:
- 1st IPV vaccine;
- after 1-2 months, repeated introduction of IPV;
- after 6-12 months the 3rd vaccination is carried out.
Adults need to be vaccinated only in exceptional cases:
- if the person was not vaccinated in childhood;
- when planning a trip to countries where polio outbreaks have been reported;
- when working with infected people;
- after contact with a sick person.
