Still some couple of decades ago the theme of childhood vaccinations was not discussed. All parents knew for sure that vaccinations are necessary for children's health and normal development. To date, the situation has changed a lot. There was a whole army of supporters of the refusal of vaccinations. More and more parents refuse to do their children routine vaccinations, explaining this is a high percentage of complications after vaccination. So should the child be vaccinated? Here is one of the most common questions that arise in young mothers and dads who have encountered this problem. Let's try to understand this question.
What are the preventive vaccinations for children? It is known that before there were numerous diseases that affected both children and adults. Every known epidemic of plague, smallpox, cholera destroyed whole cities. People throughout their history have been looking for ways to deal with these ailments. Fortunately, now these terrible diseases practically do not occur.
In our time, medicine has found a means of combating diphtheria and poliomyelitis. These diseases practically disappeared after the introduction of mandatory vaccination of children. Unfortunately, over the past ten years, cases of the disease with these ailments have resumed. Doctors associate this fact with the migration of large groups of people, since the late 90's. Another official reason is that many children are not vaccinated because of various contraindications.
What vaccinations do children do?
There is a calendar of childhood vaccinations, according to which vaccination is carried out. Inoculations from various diseases are produced only at a certain age. Conventionally, all childhood vaccinations can be divided into three groups according to the age of the child in which they are administered: inoculations to newborns, inoculations to children under one year, vaccinations after the year:
1. Vaccinations for newborns. The first childhood vaccinations the newborn receives are BCG vaccine and hepatitis B vaccination. These vaccines are given to children in the first hours of life.
2. Vaccinations for children up to a year. During this time, the child receives the greatest number of vaccinations in his life. At 3 months, children are vaccinated against poliomyelitis and DTP. Further the calendar of inoculations up to a year is painted monthly. Children are vaccinated against chickenpox, measles, mumps, haemophilus infection and repeatedly from hepatitis B. Virtually all childhood vaccinations require a revaccination after a while to develop immunity in the child.
Kaledar vaccinations for children under 1 year old
| Infection / Age | 1 day | 3-7 days | 1 month | 3 months | 4 months | 5 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis B | 1st dose | 2nd dose | 3rd dose | |||||
| Tuberculosis (BCG) | 1st dose | |||||||
| Diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus (DTP) | 1st dose | 2nd dose | 3rd dose | |||||
| Poliomyelitis (OPV) | 1st dose | 2nd dose | 3rd dose | |||||
| Hemophilus infection (Hib) | 1st dose | 2nd dose | 3rd dose | |||||
| Measles, rubella, parotitis (CCP) | 1st dose |
3. In a year the child is given a fourth inoculation against hepatitis B, an inoculation against rubella and mumps. After that, vaccination against smallpox and revaccination from other diseases should be followed. According to the schedule of vaccinations for children, DTP revaccination and revaccination against poliomyelitis are performed at the age of 18 months.
Kaledar vaccinated children after 1 year
| Infection / Age | 18 months | 6 years | 7 years | 14 years | 15 years | 18 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuberculosis (BCG) | revaccin. | revaccin. | ||||
| Diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus (DTP) | 1st revaccin. | |||||
| Diphtheria, tetanus (ADP) | revaccin. | revaccin. | ||||
| Diphtheria, tetanus (ADS-M) | revaccin. | |||||
| Poliomyelitis (OPV) | 1st revaccin. | 2nd revaccin. | 3rd revaccin. | |||
| Hemophilus infection (Hib) | 1st revaccin. | |||||
| Measles, rubella, parotitis (CCP) | 2nd dose | |||||
| Parotitis | Only boys | |||||
| Rubella | 2nd dose | Only for girls |
Unfortunately, each of the vaccines that are currently used has side effects and can cause complications. The child's organism reacts to every inoculation. The reaction is common and local. A local reaction is a condensation or redness at the site of administration of the vaccine. The general reaction is accompanied by an increase in temperature, headache, malaise. The strongest reactogenic drug is DTP. After it, there is a violation of appetite, sleep, high fever.
A relatively high percentage of children after vaccination experience complications such as severe allergic reactions, swelling, rash, and nervous system disorders.
Given the possible unpleasant consequences of childhood vaccinations, it is not surprising that many parents refuse them. Nevertheless, to find the answer to the question "Are vaccinations necessary for children?", Every parent should himself. Those mothers and dads who knowingly refuse vaccinations must understand that they take full responsibility for the health of their child.
If you belong to the advocates of vaccinations, then remember that before each vaccination, you should get advice from a pediatrician. Your child should be absolutely healthy, otherwise the risk of adverse consequences after vaccination increases. You can vaccinate a child in each district clinic. Be sure to ask what vaccine is used in the polyclinic. Do not trust unknown drugs! And if after a vaccination your child has any complications, immediately consult a doctor.