Recently, routine vaccination is almost not controlled by the state, in this regard, many prefer not to carry it out at all. Some ailments, including diphtheria and tetanus, are quite rare. For this reason, infection with such today seems impossible, and therefore people neglect the necessary prevention.
Do I need to be vaccinated against these diseases today?
Opinions are divided on the need for diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations. Most qualified doctors insist on the need for its implementation, but there are adherents of naturalistic theories who believe that the human immune system can cope with any infections on its own. Whether to be vaccinated against such diseases is decided by the child's parents or directly by the patient himself if he is already an adult.
The likelihood of contracting these diseases is now very low due to improved sanitation andhygienic living conditions, as well as herd immunity. The latter managed to take shape because diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations have been used massively for many decades. The number of people with the presence of antibodies to infection significantly exceeds the planetary population without them, and this, in fact, prevents epidemics.
How dangerous are these pathologies?
Let's consider the features of diphtheria and tetanus.
The first pathology is a highly contagious bacterial lesion that is provoked by a special bacillus Loeffler. A large amount of toxins are released by diphtheria bacillus, which cause an increase in inflammation in the oropharynx and bronchi. This leads to airway obstruction and croup that quickly progresses to asphyxia (it takes fifteen to thirty minutes to develop). Without emergency care, the patient dies due to suffocation.
How does tetanus start? The causative agent of this bacterial acute disease (clostridium tetany bacillus) enters the body by contact, through deep skin damage with the formation of a wound without oxygen. The main thing that tetanus is dangerous for a person is the death of an infected person. The causative agent releases a potent toxin that causes severe convulsions along with paralysis of the heart muscle and respiratory organs.
Post-vaccination period
Unpleasant symptoms after the introduction of a prophylactic against diphtheria and tetanus is considered the norm, and not at all a pathology. Vaccinesdo not contain live pathogens. They include only purified toxins in a minimum concentration sufficient to start the formation of human immunity. Thus, to date, there is not a single proven case of the occurrence of threatening consequences when using ADS.
But nevertheless, the post-vaccination period in any case for an adult, however, as well as for a child, will be unpleasant, since slight pain, fever, profuse sweating, runny nose, dermatitis, cough and itching may appear.
Contraindications for vaccination
There are situations where vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus simply needs to be postponed, and cases in which it must be abandoned altogether. Vaccination against the presented pathologies should be postponed in the following cases:
- When a patient has been ill with such pathologies as tuberculosis, hepatitis, meningitis within a year.
- In the event that two months have not passed since the introduction of any other vaccine.
- If immune suppressive therapy is being done.
- In the event that a person has developed any otolaryngological pathology, relapses of a chronic disease, and so on.
Completely exclude the use of the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine is required in case of intolerance to any of the ingredients of the drug and against the background of the presence of immunodeficiency. Ignoring any medical recommendations may lead to the fact that after vaccination the human body will not be able to produce a sufficient number of antibodies in order toneutralize toxins. For these reasons, a consultation with a therapist is required before the procedure to ensure that there are no contraindications.
Types of vaccines
Vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus differ from each other in terms of the active ingredients in their composition. There are medications designed to prevent only these dangerous ailments, along with complex solutions that additionally protect against the occurrence of whooping cough, polio and other pathologies. Multicomponent injections are prescribed for children and adults who are vaccinated for the first time.
Government clinics use one targeted tetanus and diphtheria vaccine called ADS or ADS-m. The import analogue is the Diftet Dt tool. For children and unvaccinated adults, DTP or complex synonyms are recommended, for example, Priorix, Pentaxim or Infanrix.
Diptheria, tetanus and polio are vaccinated at the same time for the first two times.
Vaccination schedule
Lifelong immunity to the diseases in question, as a rule, is not formed even if a person has been ill with them. The concentration of antibodies to dangerous bacterial toxins is gradually decreasing. For these reasons, the diphtheria vaccine, just like tetanus, is repeated at regular intervals. In case of missing planned prophylaxis, it is necessary to act according to the scheme for the initial administration of medicines.
Vaccination is carried out throughout life, starting from the veryinfancy. The first vaccination against these dangerous diseases is given to babies at three months, after which it is repeated twice more every forty-five days. Subsequent revaccinations are carried out at this age:
- In a year and a half.
- Children aged six to seven.
- Teenagers from fourteen to fifteen years old.
Vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus for adults is repeated every ten years. To keep the immune system active against these diseases, doctors recommend revaccination at the age of twenty-five, thirty-five, forty-five, and fifty-five. In the event that more has passed since the last injection of the medication than is determined by the vaccination schedule, then three consecutive injections will be required, similar to the age of three months.
How should I prepare for a vaccine?
No special events are required before vaccination. The primary, just like the planned vaccination against these diseases, is performed for children after a preliminary examination by a pediatrician, while body temperature and pressure are measured. At the discretion of the doctor, general analyzes of urine, blood and feces are taken. In the event that all the physiological parameters of the patient are normal, then the vaccine is administered.
Where do they get vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus?
In order to properly assimilate the solution by the body and activate the immune system, an injection is made into a well-developed muscle, characterized by a small amount of adipose tissue around, due towith this, the buttocks in this situation do not fit in any way. To babies, injections are made mainly in the thigh. And as for adults, they are vaccinated under the shoulder blade. Less commonly, injections are performed in the shoulder muscle, but this is done only if it is of sufficient size and development.
Diphtheria and tetanus vaccines cause side effects very often. More on that below.
Side effects
Negative symptoms after the introduction of the presented vaccine are extremely rare, in most cases the vaccine is well tolerated. But it should be borne in mind that sometimes local reactions may occur in the injection area in the form of reddening of the epidermis, swelling in the injection area, and so on. In addition, the following unpleasant symptoms may be observed:
- The appearance of a lump under the skin.
- Appearance of minor soreness.
- Presence of rising temperature.
- Profuse sweating and runny nose.
- Appearance of dermatitis, cough, itching and otitis.
It is worth noting that all of these problems, as a rule, disappear on their own within one to three days. In order to alleviate the condition, you should consult your doctor about symptomatic therapy. Adults have a similar reaction to the diphtheria-tetanus vaccine, but there may be additional manifestations, for example:
- The appearance of headaches.
- The occurrence of lethargy and drowsiness.
- Presence of anorexia.
- Occurrence of stool disorder,nausea and vomiting.
How are complications possible after vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus?
Complications
All of the above negative manifestations are considered a variant of the standard and natural response of the immune system to the introduction of bacterial toxins. The presence of high temperature after vaccination does not indicate inflammatory processes, but the release of the necessary antibodies to pathogenic components. Dangerous and serious consequences arise only in cases where the rules for preparing for the use of the vaccine are not followed, along with medical recommendations for the recovery period. Vaccination provokes complications in the following cases:
- If you are allergic to any of the components of the vaccine.
- With contraindications to the introduction of a medication for prevention.
- Against the background of secondary infection of the wound.
- If the needle enters the nervous tissue.
Severe consequences of improper vaccination include:
- Appearance of anaphylactic shock and angioedema.
- The occurrence of seizures.
- Development of encephalopathy or neuralgia.
Adult Vaccine
So, in our country, adults are vaccinated against diphtheria once with a combined vaccine called "ADS-M" every ten years, starting from the last one, performed at the age of fourteen. Further, the same is carried out in the period from twenty-four to twenty-six years, from thirty-four to thirty-six, and so on.
IfIf an adult does not remember when he was last vaccinated, then he should receive a double ADS-M vaccine forty-five days apart and with a single booster six to nine months after the second dose.
Vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus for children
In order to create immunity against tetanus, all children, starting from the age of three months, are injected with tetanus toxoid, which is included in the domestic vaccine called DPT.
Vaccination is carried out three times with an interval of forty-five and a single revaccination twelve months after the third vaccination, that is, at eighteen months of life. Further, according to the existing vaccination schedule, revaccination is carried out with ADS-anatoxin at the age of seven and fourteen years. And then after every ten years.
In order to prevent diphtheria in children in Russia, combined vaccines are used in the form of Pentaxim and Infanrix. All vaccine preparations containing diphtheria toxoid are of low reactogenicity.
Like diphtheria and tetanus, polio is just as dangerous.
Polio
This infection is usually caused by specific polio viruses. It is worth noting that in most situations, the disease is asymptomatic or may resemble a mild course, similar to a respiratory viral infection. But against this background, in about one percent of cases, patients develop an acute form of paralysis of the muscles of the limbs or respiratory tissues (diaphragm) with irreversibleconsequence, and sometimes it ends in death.
Specific antiviral therapy for poliomyelitis does not exist today, only symptomatic treatment of complications is carried out. There are currently only two types of polio vaccines in use:
- Using inactivated polio vaccine (IPV given by injection).
- Using live oral polio vaccine (OPV by mouth drops).
Diptheria, tetanus and polio vaccinations need to be repeated?
Revaccination
According to the national calendar of preventive vaccination, revaccination of diphtheria and tetanus, as noted earlier, is advisable for adults every ten years. Vaccinations are given free of charge under the same conditions, namely in district clinics on the basis of a passport and a compulsory medical insurance policy.
Development of diphtheria in vaccinated children
Diphtheria in this case is possible against the background of a decrease in the level of immunity. The causes of deficient immunity may be violations of the scheme of revaccination and vaccination. It is also possible to reduce the intensity of immunity after an infectious pathology. In vaccinated children, toxic forms of the disease are not often observed, diphtheria of the respiratory canals is not observed, and combined severe forms do not occur. Complications are quite rare, and deaths are usually not observed.
For the unvaccinated
Among unvaccinated children, diphtheria is very severe, with a predominance ofcombined and toxic forms. It is not excluded the accession of complications and often this ends in death. In vaccinated patients, there may be a carrier state, a predominance of localized forms, along with a smooth course and a favorable outcome.
Thus, tetanus, just like diphtheria, are serious pathologies that must be prevented through routine vaccinations.
