Modern medicine in the twentieth century was able to defeat many deadly diseases, preventive methods such as vaccinations played a significant role in this. What is a vaccine and when should it be used? Let's talk about this burning topic, because many people consider the introduction of vaccines into the human body as an absolutely ineffective method of preventing diseases.
Definition of the term "vaccine"
So what is a vaccine? At their core, such drugs are biologically active, their main task is to protect the body from viral and other pathologies. The principle of action of vaccination is quite simple, it creates immunity from the disease even before the moment of infection. In the future, at the moment of a real danger to he alth, the human body already has the ability to resist pathogens and even defeat them. Vaccination must meet the following requirements:
- Do not adversely affect he alth.
- Provides long lasting immunity.
- Stimulate the production of antibodies.
Major existing vaccine varieties
Answeringwhen asked what a vaccine is, it is impossible not to mention its main varieties. Such information is of a special medical nature and is rarely used in everyday life, but in some cases it can be useful to many:
- Combined. The most famous representative of this category is DTP, an injection from several dangerous ailments at once - whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria. Such drugs provide comprehensive protection.
- Alive. In domestic medicine, this section includes poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, plague, and many others. The composition of such drugs includes live, but weakened strains of viruses and microorganisms, which in real life can provoke the diseases listed above. When introduced into the human body, they provoke an extremely weak degree of the disease and the formation of long-term immunity.
- Inactivated. Unlike living ones, they are created on the basis of killed strains. An example of such a vaccine is rabies. Such drugs are less effective, but with repeated planned administration they also form the necessary protection.
- Chemical. This category includes cholera, typhoid fever. They are a mixture of unique antigens, proteins, lipids and other components. Introduced by the course, in a sufficiently large volume.
General information about vaccination
Now that you know what a vaccine is and what it is, it's time to talk about specific vaccinations that are recommended by the domestiche alth care system from the first days of life to any person. It is worth noting that each country has its own vaccination schedule. It depends on the existing situation in it, the characteristics, the WHO norms and even the financial issue.
The introduction of vaccines in our country is provided from the first days of a baby's life. Injections are carried out first in the maternity hospital, then in the children's and adult clinics, respectively. Mandatory vaccines are a free service for the public, however, depending on their own beliefs, a person can refuse them (for himself and his minor child).
Which is the first vaccination?
The national vaccination calendar includes 10 mandatory events, the preparations for their implementation are produced on the territory of our country. If desired, patients can receive injections based on foreign products (usually at their own expense).
The first vaccination is given to a child immediately after birth, he is given a drug against viral hepatitis B. Later, the injection will be repeated on the first and sixth month of life. Such a drug is highly desirable for each person and mandatory for members of the risk group. Do not neglect vaccination, believing that hepatitis in this group is the lot of the marginalized, you can get infected with it in everyday conditions (for example, in a hairdresser).
Which diseases must be vaccinated against in our country?
Let's talk about what other ailments injections can help,offered by the state. Mandatory vaccinations are represented by vaccines against the following diseases:
- Tuberculosis (BCG, does not guarantee protection against infection, but facilitates the course of the disease).
- Tetanus (can be introduced both separately and as part of complex DPT, DTP vaccines).
- Diphtheria.
- Whooping cough.
- Polio.
- Measles
- Rubella.
- Mumps (mumps).
Vaccination should be almost complete by the age of 20 months. Repeated injections in the future are carried out after a significant period of time closer to 6 and then 14 years. Some children are vaccinated on an individual schedule.
What other diseases are there vaccines for?
However, there are not only mandatory vaccinations, but also injections recommended for implementation. So, babies with poor he alth are recommended additional injections from pneumococcus. As a rule, such measures are appropriate if at an early age the child often suffers from throat diseases, bronchitis, and various colds. Such therapeutic vaccines are considered recommended and mandatory in European countries, in Russia they are prescribed for the most part precisely according to indications. In addition to the above list, the following vaccinations are most often carried out in our country:
- From Haemophilus influenzae.
- For the flu.
- Chickenpox (chickenpox).
How to determine if an additional injection is needed?
Recommended injections are determined firstepidemiological situation in the region. These types of drugs include drugs for rabies, typhoid fever or tick-borne encephalitis. It is also necessary to visit the clinic for additional vaccination if you are temporarily planning to go to an area that is dangerous in terms of these diseases. When traveling abroad, information about mandatory vaccinations for a particular country should be clarified not only with a therapist, but also with a travel agency.
