Do children need to be vaccinated pros and cons? What are the flu symptoms? What are the vaccines

The first vaccine was created over 200 years ago. Since then there has been great amount drugs for a variety of diseases, including influenza, but the answer to the most main question- whether it is necessary to vaccinate - as it was not, and not. The flu vaccination has its pros and cons. Let's try to figure it out.

The Great and Terrible Influenza

Influenza viruses are spreading rapidly by airborne droplets when sneezing, coughing and even talking. It is possible to transmit the disease through personal belongings, household items, children's toys. From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first symptoms, it takes from 2 to 5 days, the patient's body temperature rises sharply to 39 degrees and above. The person becomes irritable, he has headache, aching joints and muscles, lethargy, great weakness. A couple of days after the onset of the flu, a slight runny nose occurs. These late and not so clear signs perhaps the main difference between influenza and other viral infections affecting the respiratory system. Doesn't happen with the flu intestinal disorders, if they have arisen, it means that some other infection has appeared, or the body reacts to the treatment in this way.

The severity of the flu depends on many factors: general condition the health and age of the patient, whether he was previously infected with this virus. To paraphrase the saying - The devil is not so terrible as his little ones - we can say that the consequences and complications of the flu are much more dangerous than the disease itself. In some cases it causes serious lesions of cardio-vascular system, lungs and even the brain. drastically reduces and can lead to lethal outcome in the elderly and children.

The flu is dangerous for everyone. Babies are defenseless against it, because they did not have time to develop antibodies, the elderly - because their antibodies "do not work" due to a weakened immune system. main feature influenza is that a person who has recovered from it remains susceptible to reinfection, because the virus of the disease is very variable.

Which flu vaccine to choose?

To date, the most effective tool recognized worldwide annual vaccination. In Russia optimal time for this procedure - October-November. Since the virus is active in our country from December to March, full-fledged immunity after vaccination will have time to form.

In the vast majority of cases, vaccines are administered by injection, but there are also alternative way- through the nasal mucosa. This reduces the risk undesirable consequences and local immunity is formed. Unfortunately, this method is acceptable only for single vaccines.

Used to prevent influenza alive(with weakened viruses) and inactivated vaccines with dead pathogen viruses. The latter are divided into whole virion(contain whole viruses), split (split vaccines)(all proteins are taken from the virus, which provides a smaller number side effects after flu shot) and subunit(only surface proteins are used, most necessary for the formation of protection against influenza).

According to recent studies by domestic scientists, inactivated vaccines are well tolerated and have high epidemiological efficiency. Along with other vaccines approved for use in Russia, inactivated Influvac (Holland) and Vaxigrip (France) are actively used. All of the above drugs meet the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia (protection level of more than 70%) and are effective drugs for the prevention of influenza. Inactivated split vaccines also include Fluarix (Belgium), Begrivak (Germany), Grippol (Russia) and Agrippal (Germany).

Who should get the flu shot?

Inactivated vaccines are administered starting from 6 months intramuscularly or deep subcutaneously, to babies - in the anterior upper part hips, adults and adolescents - in the deltoid muscle of the shoulder. Influenza vaccination can be combined with any other vaccinations (except TB BCG).

Influenza vaccination contraindications: hypersensitivity to egg white or other components of the vaccine, an exacerbation of a chronic disease.

Pros and cons of flu vaccination

Despite all the exhortations of doctors, many people to this day believe that the best medicine against flu - tea with raspberry jam. These irresponsible and illiterate medical point citizens are seriously risking not only their own well-being, but also the health of their children and even their lives.

Influenza and its complications are most dangerous for babies, starting from the age of 6 months, who catch the virus 3.5 times more often than adults. In children aged 6 months to 2 years, the likelihood of complications due to disruption of the cardiovascular and central nervous system is extremely high. In 40% of cases, the flu leads to and, as a result, deafness! Keep this in mind the next time you refuse to vaccinate your child. Are you really ready to deprive him of the right to a healthy and fulfilling life?

According to statistics, about 85% of vaccinated babies are absolutely resistant to influenza viruses, and those who, nevertheless, get sick, endure the disease much easier, more short time and without complications. Quite a strong argument "for", isn't it?

Many people recklessly refuse vaccines because they are afraid of complications. But in vain, because the side effects when using highly purified 3rd generation subunit vaccines (Influvac, Agrippal and Grippol) are practically minimized. And the best of that evidence - indications for use. These vaccines are allowed to vaccinate six-month-old children and pregnant women.

It happens that on the first day after vaccination, the temperature rises (usually not more than 37.5 degrees), chills and weakness appear, but this is only general reaction organism. It is observed in only 1% of vaccinated children and quickly passes. In 4% of babies, after vaccination, painful redness and swelling are observed at the injection site, which disappear within two days. Physicians authoritatively declare: serious complications after vaccination in last years did not have!

The debate about the benefits and harms of flu shots will not subside until the last virus of this disease disappears from the face of the Earth. How many people, so many opinions, and it's up to you to decide whether to get vaccinated or not. In any case, whether you have made a decision “for” or “against”, you must take into account all the contraindications. Especially when it comes to the health of your own child!

Now you will know the dangers and benefits of mandatory childhood vaccinations.

From different infectious diseases for children is a busy schedule in the first year of life. Many parents refuse to vaccinate their babies because of the increasing mortality after vaccination. The Ministry of Health is warning refuseniks that it could be life-threatening for their children in the future, but statistics negative consequences shocking and so parents continue to restrict their children from mandatory vaccinations.

In fact, ministers argue that the cause of deaths and other unpleasant symptoms in a child after the introduction of the vaccine lies not at all in the vaccination itself, but in the fact that parents incorrectly prepare their babies for vaccination due to ignorance. Local doctors do not fully disclose concise information on how to properly prepare a child for vaccination. For example, some doctors do not insist that all children undergo a thorough examination by a pediatrician before vaccination, take blood and urine tests, take antihistamines and antipyretics, not walk outside after vaccination, and so on.

For everyone who is puzzled by the question of whether a child should be vaccinated or not, experts have compiled a list of the pros and cons of mandatory vaccination:

1. "Live" vaccines completely kill the immunity of a growing organism, which is already not yet fully formed - this is an absolute minus, but it also contains a plus, because a priori there are no cells in the human immune system that fight serious infections, and in this In this case, compulsory vaccination is vital for the child. Yes, for some time the vaccine really destroys immune cells, but after 7-10 days the immunity will become twice as strong and can really protect the child from infections such as measles, mumps, and so on.
2. None of the vaccines will give a 100% guarantee that the child will not catch the infection against which he was vaccinated. This is true, but doctors are sure that it is better to protect the child by vaccination and reduce the effect of infection on the body than it will not be protected at all. That is, when the immune cells are filled with a vaccine, for example, from, then if the child catches it, then he will have a chance to recover faster and not die from this infection.
3. In fact, vaccination various infections, for example, measles, is considered optional by many parents and they think that the child will cope with the disease itself if infected. Doctors do not agree with this, because in childhood a child may not get sick, but if he catches measles or rubella in adulthood, then the list of complications increases several times. For example, rubella for a woman in interesting position- this is the danger of developing intrauterine pathologies, such as fetal deformity.
4. Many parents believe that mandatory vaccinations do not need to be given to children who are breastfed by their mothers. This is wrong and unsafe, because breast milk, although it protects the baby from diseases, is completely negligible, that is, severe infections can in any case overcome the baby and bring him a lot of harm.
5. All vaccines are considered dangerous for the life and health of children - this is a fact, but scientists say that refusing mandatory vaccination and contracting this or that infection more often leads to death and serious consequences.

Valeria Yanobekova

Vaccinations for children are a rather painful topic for many parents. All of them, it is worth mentioning the planned vaccination, are suddenly divided into two camps - opponents who scare with horror stories terrible consequences, and people who want to protect their babies from rather dangerous diseases using the method recommended by doctors - vaccinations. To understand whether it is necessary to vaccinate children, the pros and cons of this, let's try to sort out all the fears of anti-vaccinators on the shelves, their "cons" and adequately consider them on www.site.

The first argument put forward by opponents suggests that routine vaccination depletes the immune system of babies. It seems to be wasted, instead of being ready to fight the sores that lie in wait for him. But from a logical point of view, our world is not a sterile test tube. Every day a person is faced with a mass of negative microorganisms. But all these pathogens do not pass barrier protection organism. Most often, infections do not go further than the lymph nodes. And that's okay.

If you try to reduce the number of contacts of the body with negative bacteria and viruses, then the immune system, having nothing to do, switches to completely harmless things. This provokes the development of autoimmune and allergic diseases. So from this point of view, vaccinations allow the immune system not to forget about its purpose.

Anti-vaccinationists are confident that if during the natural transmission of the virus, it gets on the mucous membranes and skin, then during vaccination, it is administered subcutaneously, which confuses the immune system and prevents normal antibodies from being developed. Well, this statement has some logic. When the virus enters the skin and mucous membranes, the so-called primary immunity begins to be produced.

Later, when the virus gets to circulatory system, the development of secondary immunity begins, it is also called acquired. At the time of vaccination by subcutaneous injection of the drug, the first barrier - the skin and mucous membranes - is artificially broken through with a syringe needle, and the vaccine stimulates the production of already stronger immunity.

Many ardent opponents routine vaccinations see a threat in the composition of vaccines, such as compounds of mercury and aluminum. They see a threat in the ghostly connection between them and developments. various diseases. For example, the preservative thimerosal is a mercury compound. Because of him, many parents, at one time, refused to hold routine vaccination from measles, mumps, rubella. This caused a surge in these diseases.

The parents' argument was the information that this mercury compound is associated with the development of autism in children. Studies have shown that thimerosal is quickly and completely eliminated from the body, and can in no way affect the occurrence of this disease. Nevertheless, they decided to remove him from the composition of many vaccinations for general reassurance.

As for aluminum, vaccines contain aluminum alum. They cannot be removed from the composition, for the reason that they are necessary for the production of antibodies.

But still heard that aluminum is harmful? And no one can be reassured by the fact that vaccines contain its salts, which, for example, are one of active ingredients heartburn medications.

Many parents refuse even the mantoux reaction, because it contains toxic substance- phenol. But in order for it to become dangerous, the dose must be exceeded three to four times. And, in addition, phenol is independently formed in our body, safely excreted with waste products.

As for the reaction to vaccinations, many of them are absolutely normal. These include itching, swelling, pain at the injection site, headache and fever are quite acceptable. It should be noted that this does not apply to people with severe immune disorders and allergies. Their vaccination should be consulted separately with an immunologist.

As for serious complications after vaccinations - convulsions, anaphylaxis, then it is necessary to take into account the statistical data of the studies. For example, the risk of serious complications after infection with measles, mumps or rubella is 1:300, and the chances of complications in the form of seizures are 1:3,000, in the form of anaphylaxis 1:1,000,000.

Hepatitis can lead to complications such as liver cancer or cirrhosis in one out of four cases, in babies it turns into chronic form nine times out of ten. And the chances of complications after vaccination are 1:600,000. Vaccination prevents such a development of the situation - the advantages of vaccination are obvious!

The DTP vaccine, about which how many disputes has the following statistics:

Chances of death after infection: Whooping cough 1:800, diphtheria 1:20, tetanus 1:5; possibility of anaphylaxis after vaccination 1:50,000; fever and/or convulsions 1:5,000; loss of consciousness and hypotension 1:350.

There are similar statistics for all other vaccines.

If you are wondering whether to vaccinate a baby, whether to vaccinate a child, consider the severity of this disease, and what chances you have of contracting it. It depends on the epidemiological situation in your area, and the number of unvaccinated children, and on the environment of the baby in kindergarten, school and home. So, for example, a neighbor in the stairwell may well be a carrier active form tuberculosis. Compare all the risks, and only then make your informed choice. At the same time, be aware that the number of people on the globe and the age of life have always grown in proportion to the successes of medicine, and not in spite of them - this is the advantage of its achievements, and relying on natural selection that your child's immunity will stand by itself is risky.

The current procedure for vaccination threatens the life and health of babies - such a shocking conclusion was made by the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, after investigating the deaths of children after vaccinations. Law enforcers believe that doctors are negligent in examining children before vaccination, and parents do not receive complete information. So what should parents know before allowing their child to be vaccinated?

GETTING READY FOR VACCINATION

One of the causes of complications that occur after vaccination may be improper preparation for vaccination. If the child is allergic, it is necessary to take antihistamines: 2 days before vaccination, 2 days after. Before inoculation with DTP vaccine (against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus), you need to do a blood and urine test, consult a neurologist. In preparation for vaccination, buy children's antipyretics with paracetamol (suppositories are better - less adverse reactions). Do not use aspirin - complications may occur. Before vaccination, read the instructions for the vaccine, paying attention to the list of contraindications and the expiration date of the drug.

On the day of vaccination, new foods should not be introduced into the diet of the child (and mother, if the child is breastfed). This prohibition is also valid for 3 days (according to some doctors, 7-10 days) after vaccination.

Immediately before the vaccination, check with the doctor that the child does not have a fever. Do not be afraid to refuse vaccination if you have any doubts about normal condition child or doubts about the vaccine itself. Find out if your immunization office has supplies to help you with an allergic reaction.

After vaccination, sit for half an hour or an hour near the office - there may be immediate allergic reactions for vaccination. On the day of vaccination, it is better not to bathe the baby. You need to monitor the child's condition for another 2-3 weeks, especially on days 3, 5 and 10-11 - late allergies can develop during these periods.

CHOOSE A DRUG

Many parents who have made their choice in favor of vaccination believe that imported, European vaccines are better than domestic ones - they have fewer side effects. It is advised to be especially careful when choosing a DTP vaccine. In the domestic version, it usually includes the so-called whole-cell pertussis component, which, according to many doctors, causes most reactions, such as swelling at the injection site, fever, convulsions. In most vaccines foreign countries- they are called acellular, or acellular, - the pertussis component is purified and causes fewer reactions.

Some believe that it is better to vaccinate against different diseases separately, so the load on the body will be less. Others argue that combination vaccines are better and one "total" shot is preferable to two separate shots - half the total dose of a toxic preservative. Consult a pediatrician, he will determine which option is right for your child.

A SPECIAL CASE

Everyone knows that you can not get vaccinated when the child is sick, so that complications do not arise, you need to wait at least 2-4 weeks. But there are more specific contraindications.

• So, if you are allergic to yeast, yeast dough Hepatitis B vaccination may be contraindicated if you are allergic to chicken protein- vaccination against measles (as well as against influenza), with allergies to antibiotics (neomycin, kanamycin, streptomycin) - vaccination against measles, rubella, vaccination with IPV vaccine against polio.
• The rubella vaccine is absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy.
• A contraindication for the introduction of BCG (against tuberculosis) is prematurity.
• Vaccination with DTP vaccine, in particular its pertussis component, is contraindicated in progressive neurological diseases, convulsions, epilepsy.
• Also contraindications are severe violations immunity and cancer, severe anemia.
• In addition, you can not vaccinate a child immediately before or after surgery - the vaccine can be done no later than a month before the operation and no earlier than 3-4 weeks after it.

Prepared by Anna Zimina

Vaccines (definition, the classification of which are discussed in this article) are immunological agents used as active immunoprophylaxis (otherwise, to form an active persistent immunity of the body to this particular pathogen). According to the WHO, vaccination best method prevention infectious pathologies. Thanks to high efficiency, the simplicity of the method, the possibility of wide coverage of the vaccinated population for the mass prevention of pathologies, immunoprophylaxis in many countries is classified as a state priority.

Vaccination

Vaccination is special preventive measures, aimed at protecting a child or an adult from certain pathologies, completely or significantly reducing their appearance when they occur.

A similar effect is achieved by "training" the immune system. With the introduction of the drug, the body (more precisely, its immune system) fights the artificially introduced infection and "remembers" it. With repeated infection, immunity is activated much faster and completely destroys foreign agents.

The list of ongoing vaccination activities includes:

• selection of persons to be vaccinated;
• drug choice;
• formation of a scheme for the use of the vaccine;
• efficiency control;
• therapy (if needed) possible complications and pathological reactions.

Methods of vaccination

• Intradermal. An example is BCG. The introduction is made in the shoulder (its outer third). A similar method is also used to prevent tularemia, plague, brucellosis, anthrax, Q fever.
• Oral. It is used to prevent poliomyelitis and rabies. Under development oral agents from influenza, measles, typhoid fever, meningococcal infection.
• Subcutaneous. At this method not sorbed drug is injected into the subscapular or brachial ( outside surface on the border of the middle and upper thirds of the shoulder) area. Advantages: low allergenicity, ease of administration, immunity stability (both local and general).
• Aerosol. It is used as an emergency immunization. Highly effective are aerosol agents against brucellosis, influenza, tularemia, diphtheria, anthrax, whooping cough, plague, rubella, gas gangrene, tuberculosis, tetanus, typhoid fever, botulism, dysentery, mumps B.
• Intramuscular. Produced in the muscles of the thigh (in the upper anterolateral part of the quadriceps thigh muscle). For example, DTP.

Modern classification of vaccines

There are several divisions of vaccine preparations.

1. Classification of funds in accordance with the generation:

• 1st generation (corpuscular vaccines). In turn, they are divided into attenuated (weakened live) and inactivated (killed) agents;
• 2nd generation: subunit (chemical) and neutralized exotoxins (anatoxins);
• 3rd generation is represented by recombinant and recombinant rabies vaccines;
• 4th generation (not yet included in practice), represented by plasmid DNA, synthetic peptides, plant vaccines, vaccines that contain MHC products and anti-idiotypic drugs.

2. Classification of vaccines (microbiology also divides them into several classes) by origin. By origin, vaccines are divided into:

• live, which are made from living but weakened microorganisms;
• killed, created on the basis of inactivated different ways microorganisms;
• vaccines of chemical origin (based on highly purified antigens);
• vaccines that are created using biotechnological techniques, in turn, are divided into:

Synthetic vaccines based on oligosaccharides and oligopeptides;

DNA vaccines;

Genetically engineered vaccines created on the basis of products resulting from the synthesis of recombinant systems.

3. In accordance with the antigens included in the preparations, there is the following classification of vaccines (that is, as antigens in vaccines may be present):

• whole microbial cells (inactivated or live);
• individual components of microbial bodies (usually protective Ag);
• microbial toxins;
• synthetically created microbial Ag;
• Ag, which are obtained using genetic engineering techniques.

Depending on the ability to develop insensitivity to several or one agent:

• monovaccines;
• polyvaccines.

Classification of vaccines in accordance with the set of Ag:

• component;
• corpuscular.

Live vaccines

For the manufacture of such vaccines, weakened strains of infectious agents are used. Such vaccines have immunogenic properties, however, the onset of symptoms of the disease during immunization, as a rule, does not cause.

As a result of the penetration of a live vaccine into the body, stable cellular, secretory, humoral immunity is formed.

Pros and cons

Benefits (classification, application discussed in this article):

• minimum dosage required
• possibility various ways vaccinations;
• rapid development of immunity;
• high efficiency;
• low price;
• immunogenicity as natural as possible;
• contains no preservatives;
• Under the influence of such vaccines, all types of immunity are activated.

Negative sides:

• if the patient has a weakened immune system with the introduction of a live vaccine, the development of the disease is possible;
• vaccines of this type are extremely sensitive to temperature changes, and therefore, with the introduction of a "spoiled" live vaccine, they develop negative reactions or the vaccine completely loses its properties;
• the impossibility of combining such vaccines with other vaccine preparations, due to the development of adverse reactions or loss of therapeutic efficacy.

Classification of live vaccines

There are the following types of live vaccines:

• Attenuated (weakened) vaccine preparations. They are produced from strains that have reduced pathogenicity, but pronounced immunogenicity. With the introduction of a vaccine strain in the body, a similarity develops infectious process: infectious agents multiply, thereby causing the formation of immune responses. Among such vaccines, the best known are drugs for the prevention of typhoid fever, anthrax, Q fever and brucellosis. But still, the bulk of live vaccines - antiviral drugs from adenovirus infections, yellow fever, Sabin (against polio), rubella, measles, influenza;
• Divergent vaccines. They are made on the basis of related pathogens of infectious pathologies strains. Their antigens provoke an immune response that is cross-directed to the antigens of the pathogen. An example of such vaccines is the smallpox vaccine, which is made on the basis of the vaccinia virus and BCG, on the basis of mycobacteria that cause bovine tuberculosis.

flu vaccines

as the most effective prevention flu vaccines are used. They represent biological preparations that provide the emergence of short-term resistance to influenza viruses.

Indications for such vaccination are:

• age 60 and older;
• bronchopulmonary chronic or cardiovascular pathologies;
• pregnancy (2-3 trimesters);
• outpatient and inpatient staff;
• persons permanently staying in closed groups (prisons, hostels, nursing homes, and so on);
• patients in hospital or outpatient treatment that have hemoglobinopathy, immunosuppression, pathology of the liver, kidneys and metabolic disorders.

Varieties

The classification of influenza vaccines includes the following groups:

1. Live vaccines;
2. Vaccines inactivated:

• whole virus vaccines. Includes undestroyed highly purified inactivated virions;
• split (split vaccines). For example: Fluarix, Begrivak, Vaxigrip. Created on the basis of destroyed influenza virions (all proteins of the virus);

• subunit vaccines ("Agrippal", "Grippol", "Influvac") contain two viral surface proteins, neuraminidase and hemagglutinin, which provide the induction of an immune response in influenza. Other proteins of the virion, as well as the chick embryo, are absent, as they are eliminated during purification.