Issues of chickenpox prevention in children are relevant for both doctors and parents who want only the best for their children. Chickenpox is an infectious disease that is easily transmitted between people. The resistance of the human body to the pathogen is very low, so contact with the infection with a high degree of probability leads to a serious illness. A distinctive feature of the case is a rash in the form of bubbles, bringing the patient a lot of inconvenience.
Technical aspects
First of all, it is necessary to prevent chickenpox in children attending kindergartens, schools, that is, crowded places. The disease is provoked by a herpetic virus of the third type. She is extremely contagious. The virus is spread by airborne droplets, so you can get sick by talking with the patient, as well as just being in the same room with him. Air currents carry the pathogen to a distance of up to a couple of tens of meters. A child can become ill when in contact with someone who hasdeveloped shingles, since both diseases are initiated by the same type of herpes virus. The resistance of the pathogen to external conditions is quite low, so there is no need for final disinfection of the room after successful completion of treatment.
On average, a person is contagious already a couple of days before the first rash appears. Infectiousness persists for a week after outbreaks appear.
How to warn?
For the prevention of chickenpox in children, special vaccines and vaccinations have been invented. These funds not only protect a person from the disease itself, but also exclude the formation of complications against its background. Injection is recommended for children older than one year of age. Vaccination is indicated for adolescents, adults, if they did not receive a vaccine in childhood, they did not have chickenpox before. The duration of the effect of a single administration of the drug is estimated at a decade or more. True, doctors are aware of cases when people who received the vaccine still fell ill. All such episodes are characterized by a mild course, which is recorded in the specialized medical literature.
Chickenpox prevention in children through the introduction of a vaccine in other countries is among the mandatory measures to ensure public he alth. Such rules have been adopted in Japan and in the American territories, in some other powers. In our country, the introduction of vaccines that protect against chicken pox has not yet been widely distributed to the proper extent. Parents themselves choose whether the child needs an injection or whether they do not agree toprocedure.
About the nuances
If the child's immunity is weaker than normal, vaccination is not recommended. This is due to the risk of complications. Immunity can be weakened due to drug therapy, past illness. Before administering a vaccine, you need to consult a doctor. The doctor will assess the possible risks and give an opinion on the case.
About timing
If a child has not received any vaccinations and has had contact with a contagious person, they are likely to develop symptoms of the disease soon. Doctors know how many days chickenpox appears after contact. The incubation phase usually lasts from ten days to three full weeks. The first symptoms are an increase in temperature, a deterioration in appetite, a weakening of the patient's body. The child complains of abdominal pain. Many people have headaches. Only a day later, rashes join - small areas that are bothered by itching. They are visible on the face, trunk, limbs. Inside the rash is liquid. A few days later, a crust appears on the bubbles, which subsequently flies off by itself. The process is accompanied by extremely pronounced itching. As the old ones dry out, new bubbles form - updating takes about three days. The appearance of new areas stops approximately by the tenth day of the disease, the patient gradually recovers.
Children and adults: is there a difference?
Doctors, knowing the characteristics of the symptoms, treatment, prevention of chickenpox in children and adults, pay attention to the need to administer drugs that preventdisease, not only for babies, but also for older people, if they did not get sick and did not receive a vaccine. The fact is that in childhood the disease proceeds relatively easily, but over time it is more difficult to endure. The older the person, the higher the risk of complications. These include inflammatory processes in the brain areas, lungs. There is a danger of nervous paralysis of the system that feeds the face and skull. The frequency of deaths in older patients is 30-40 times higher than in children.
Vaccine: do or not?
Preventive measures are the surest way to rule out disease. All modern parents should know where to get the chickenpox vaccine. The injection is given in a clinic, in a specialized treatment room. It is strictly forbidden to administer drugs at home or in institutions that do not have the appropriate permits, conditions. The decision to administer the medication is the responsibility of the parents. It must be remembered that an injection is the only way to provide a child with protection from the disease. This is even more important for an adult who has not previously been ill and not vaccinated.
In our country, children are most often given the vaccine against chickenpox "Varilrix". The composition of this drug is a viral strain, specially weakened in order to be not so dangerous to humans. All children older than one year of age are subject to vaccination. This is especially important for those who already go to kindergarten, school, where the illness of one means the risk of infecting everyone around. Alternatively, clinics may offerOkawax. This pharmaceutical product is also manufactured using a weakened viral strain.
Children under 13 years of age are recommended a single vaccination. For older individuals, the chickenpox vaccination schedule involves two doses. Between them maintain a pause lasting from six to ten weeks. The scheme may vary, depending on the drug used.
And if there are any cons?
Chickenpox vaccine administered at the clinic is generally well tolerated by people of all age groups. Among the relatively common adverse reactions are discomfort, redness of the skin in the area of drug administration. Occasionally, those who received the remedy have an increase in temperature. There may be minor discomfort. Some time later (from a week to three) after receiving the vaccine, there is a possibility of the formation of areas of rashes on the skin. Such zones are similar to the rash characteristic of the acute phase of the disease. Eruption zones - a marker of the formation of immunity.
Can it or can't it?
Like any other drug, the means used for vaccination have certain contraindications. To get acquainted with the exact list, you need to clarify the name of the chickenpox vaccine for children in the clinic, and read the instructions for use. In the general case, contraindications are periods of exacerbation against the background of some chronic illness, as well as acute infection. If such a condition is identified, the planned vaccination is postponed until a stable remission or completepatient recovery.
Vaccination is not done during pregnancy, lactation. If a woman is planning a pregnancy, has not had chickenpox, has not been vaccinated against this disease, prevention should be especially responsible. It is necessary to administer the vaccine three weeks before the planned conception (or longer). In the US, the minimum interval between injection and conception is four weeks.
Restrictions in more detail
Possible individual intolerance to neomycin included in all vaccines. Under this condition, the introduction of the drug is strictly prohibited. If a person has already received a vaccine earlier and the body reacted heavily to the remedy, this also indicates the impossibility of completing the preventive program. Re-considered drugs should not be administered under these conditions.
Diseases: the defeated and the not-so
As you can see from the news reports, several cases of chickenpox quarantine have been recorded in the capital region in recent years. Medical statistics indicate an increase in cases of chickenpox among people of different age groups. As journalists say, forums and discussions on the treatment and prevention of chickenpox have intensified on the World Wide Web. The number of cases is increasing year by year. At the same time, doctors point to an increasing frequency of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. The movement of adults who do not accept vaccines is quite popular in Western countries, and has become increasingly relevant in recent years.and in our country.
What is more dangerous: a disease or the possible consequences of vaccinating against it? Which is worse: being quarantined for chickenpox or moving a greased uniform after an injection? While in our country, parents can decide for themselves. Until relatively recently, cases of chickenpox were quite rare, as people were more likely to agree to vaccinate their children. With a decrease in the frequency of consents, the number of patients logically increased. The disease, which until recently seemed almost under control, again frightens the general public. However, while every citizen of our country has the opportunity to arbitrarily and fully consciously make the final decision in favor of obtaining a strain of the virus or the risk of getting sick, associated with the probability of never encountering a disease at all. The latter, although it exists, is small - you need to understand this.
Vaccine: is there an alternative?
What should parents do if they do not agree to an injection for themselves or their child? How not to get chickenpox to an adult from a child and vice versa? Doctors pay attention: it is catastrophically difficult. The only method is to detect the disease in time and isolate the person. But it must be remembered that the patient is contagious before the appearance of specific symptoms, therefore, at home, it is almost impossible to understand that a family member fell ill with chickenpox. Moreover, even after the spots disappear, the person is still spreading the virus around him, which is not only dangerous, but can be fatal, especially if it hits an adult.
Doctors explaining how not toto catch an adult from a child with chickenpox, it is advised to constantly organize wet cleaning in the room where the patient is located. The room must be regularly ventilated. Doesn't need to be disinfected. However, it should be understood that these are relatively weak protection measures, and if older family members are not vaccinated, the risk of infection is extremely high.
About the nuances
Doctors have found that some people are particularly sensitive to the third type of herpes virus. Some are moderately susceptible to it, while others are naturally quite resistant to this infection. The higher the body's ability to protect itself, the less likely it is to get sick without having previously received vaccinations, even when in contact with a sick person. True, there are very few people who are almost immune to the virus. In fact, almost anyone who has even a brief contact with a sick person soon becomes a victim of chickenpox himself. True, if it is known that there was an interaction with the patient, you can come to the clinic, where they will immediately inject the medicine. A vaccination given within the first two days after contact saves a person from a severe form of the disease. This is especially important for older people. If you turn to medical standards, you can find out that you can get vaccinated in the first five days after contact with the patient, but if more than 72 hours have passed, the risks of getting sick in full force are extremely high. Of course, after vaccination, the disease will proceed easier than in the case of its absence, but the more time passes, the less effectivefunds.
If urgent prophylaxis is needed, "Varilrix" is administered. The injective administration of such a pharmaceutical product is the only method of preventing the disease after contact with the patient. No other reliable methods are known to medicine.
Effect Duration
Specialists know that a decade after receiving the injection, a person is still protected from chickenpox. Antibodies in the circulatory system are a barrier that protects a person from chickenpox, but not only does it work. There are cells that are responsible for memory. They cannot be detected by a blood test, but they are responsible for the safety of data on contact with a viral agent. Each contact with the patient for the one who received the vaccine is a revaccination. Doctors, based on already known information, consider it fair to consider the effect of vaccination as lifelong.
