Among the population, there is still a misconception that measles is a mild disease, and a child must have it. In not so distant times, families even had a tradition: as soon as one family member fell ill, he althy people began to closely contact him in order to also become infected. Such an idea is extremely erroneous and dangerous! Measles is far from being a simple, harmless disease. From this article you will learn how the disease proceeds, its symptoms and consequences, how many times a person is vaccinated against measles and after what period of time.
How dangerous is measles?
Measles is a contagious disease transmitted by airborne droplets. It not only proceeds in an acute form, but is also fraught with complications, severe damage to the eyes, the entire nervous system, and a fatal outcome is also possible. The greatest danger for children is the weakening of the immune system, as a result of which, at best, otitis media orpneumonia. Although these diseases for a particularly young child can end tragically, in the vast majority of cases, such complications are successfully de alt with these days.
It is considered more dangerous when the virus persists in the body after recovery, while penetrating deep into the meninges. In these cases, severe, slowly progressive damage to both the brain and spinal cord often develops (meningitis, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis).
How to treat measles?
Scientists have been trying for years to find a way to fight this disease. And while it has not been possible to completely defeat it, nevertheless, to some extent, the course of this disease can be improved and even prevented by introducing the substance gamma globulin. But it is effective only if it is introduced into the body no later than the sixth day after contact with the sick person. In this case, although the infection has already occurred, the disease itself has not yet developed. It is very difficult to calculate this moment, because you may not even be aware of such contact. In addition, gamma globulin protects your child for only about three weeks, and then the protein structures of this substance break down.
Measles Prevention
More effective protection and prevention of the disease at the moment is vaccination - vaccination against measles. How many times they do it, every adult should know. Vaccination is necessary for everyone, without exception, especially for preschool children, as they endure the disease most severely.
Today, vaccines are of the highest quality, monovalent (from one component) and polyvalent (from several components), the latter, in addition to measles, prevent diseases such as rubella, mumps and chicken pox.
How many times should I get the measles vaccine?
Everyone knows about the measles vaccine, how many times to do it and after what period of time. But few can answer this question. In different countries, the age for the first vaccination is defined differently, mainly due to the life expectancy of people, their immunity and the number of diseases. In any case, vaccination against measles reduces the risk of getting sick by several dozen times, regardless of where a person lives. Everyone needs to know why the measles vaccine is so important, how many times it is given to children and adults, what interval should be observed between vaccinations.
Measles vaccine: how many times is it done in Russia?
In Russia, it is mandatory to be vaccinated against measles. How many times to do depends on when 1 vaccination was given:
- If at 9-12 months, then vaccinations should be done 4-5 (9 months, 15-18 months, 6 years, 15-17 years, 30 years). This is due to the fact that vaccination at 9 months creates immunity in babies only by 80-90% (immunization at 1 year is 100%), so 10-20% of children need to be vaccinated again.
- If at 1 year old, there will be only 3-4 shots (1 year old, 6 years old, 15-17 years old, 30 years old).
After vaccination for 1-2 days, you may have a fever or a slight malaise. It should be remembered that at least six months must elapse between vaccinations. Today, a pediatrician or therapist is obliged to explain what measles is, how many times they are vaccinated against this disease, and why it is needed.
What to do if you or your child is still faced with this disease?
The measles virus does not respond to drugs, so even the strongest antibiotics cannot have any effect on it. The doctor prescribes medication treatment only in cases of complications.
The best and most important help in the fight against this disease will be proper patient care. The sun's rays have a deadly effect on microorganisms, and fresh air heals the body. Therefore, put the bed in a place illuminated by the rays, but so that the light does not fall directly into the eyes. Ventilate the room more often and wipe the floor in the room daily with a damp cloth. In a child with measles, the eyes often fester, all this remains in the form of dry crusts on the eyelids in the corners of the eyes. To alleviate the condition, wash the patient's eyes with warm water that has boiled for several minutes. Cough and runny nose are very painful in case of illness, making it difficult to breathe, so the child should often be offered a warm drink.
What else do you need to know?
Feeding the sick deserves great attention. Appetite will be reduced during illness, so choose light food,nutritious and at the same time tasty and appetizing. There is no need to follow any diet, but it is advisable to add foods rich in vitamins to the menu. Also, do not force them to eat, but make sure that the child drinks more fruit juices, fruit drinks, tea. After eating, rinse your mouth with boiled water. This will protect against stomatitis, which is often a complication of measles.
Every adult today needs to know why the measles vaccine is needed, how many times it is given during a lifetime and after what period of time.
