In the article we will talk about the chickenpox vaccination for a child.
In our country, this pathology is considered to be a fairly mild childhood infectious disease, but it can be very difficult for some children, especially in cases where the child's immunity is weakened or he has some kind of chronic disease.
In addition, probably every parent has heard that with age, the course of this pathology becomes more severe, and if the baby did not have smallpox in childhood, this infection can become deadly in adulthood. And therefore, many parents are concerned about the prevention of chickenpox.
One of the most effective measures to help avoid infection is the vaccine against this infection.
To find out if a child needs a chickenpox vaccine, you shouldask what this vaccine is, what the medicines used are called, how it is tolerated, etc.
Should I get the chickenpox vaccine?
Children are vaccinated against chickenpox in many countries of the world, for example, in Europe and the USA, such a vaccination for all babies is mandatory. In Russia, although such vaccination is included in the vaccination calendar, it is considered only additional. And therefore, most children are vaccinated against chickenpox only at the request of their parents. Thus, the vaccine against this disease is not mandatory and is carried out on a paid basis.
Despite the fact that at the age of 2-7 years, chickenpox often proceeds quite easily, but not a single child is immune from the complex course of the disease with high fever, vomiting, stomatitis, aching joints, damage to the mucous eyes, and profuse rashes and other symptoms. The older the child, the more difficult this disease is.
The virus that causes chickenpox does not leave the body of an ill patient, and at the age of more than 40 years often becomes the cause of shingles. This pathology is manifested by rashes and severe pain, which is difficult to eliminate with the help of analgesics. When vaccinated, specific antibodies are formed in the body, but the virus itself does not remain in the nerve endings.
Pros
On the skin, especially if the baby fell ill at an early age, scars and scars may remain, because the rash is very itchy, and children comb the skin to sores. Timely vaccination fromchickenpox baby will leave the baby's skin perfectly even.
The disease can lead to life-threatening complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis. Vaccination will also help eliminate their occurrence.
Therefore, the question of whether a child needs a chickenpox vaccine is relevant.
If you are vaccinated against this infection within three days after contact with a sick patient, you can avoid infection. Therefore, if parents are worried about whether it is possible to vaccinate a child after such contacts, then there is only one answer - this is not only allowed, but even recommended by many pediatricians.
Chickenpox vaccine is highly immunogenic. When given before the age of 5 years, this vaccine provides protection in approximately 95% of children. After a single administration of vaccines to adolescents and adults, immunity is formed only in 78% of those vaccinated, and after repeated vaccination, immunity to the virus increases to 99%.
Vaccination at the time of pregnancy protects a woman from transmitting the virus to her fetus and will protect the newborn within six months after birth. If a woman contracts chickenpox during pregnancy, it is often associated with severe fetal malformations or severe congenital chickenpox. If, however, a future mother who has not previously suffered from chickenpox is vaccinated before conception, she will avoid such consequences and in the future she herself will not become infected with this dangerous infection.
Vaccination is considered the main method of protectionfrom all complications of the disease.
Cons
The bulk of cases of chickenpox in children under 7 years of age is characterized by a mild course, so many parents prefer their children to have it and even specifically bring their child to sick babies. Since vaccination against this infection is optional, the purchase of the vaccine and the payment for the medical procedure falls entirely on the shoulders of the parents.
Many of them have doubts that the probability of getting sick after vaccination is extremely low. In fact, varicella infection in such a case is also possible, but the number of children who develop pathology after the introduction of the vaccine is only 1%. At the same time, the infectious process proceeds very easily and passes on its own without treatment.
Recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky
A well-known pediatrician has a positive attitude towards vaccination against chickenpox and believes that fathers and mothers who decide to vaccinate their child against this infection are doing the right thing, since even in prosperous countries deaths from chickenpox sometimes occur. Komarovsky considers vaccination of chickenpox especially important for children with immunodeficiencies, heart defects, glomerulonephritis and oncological diseases. With such pathologies, the disease is extremely dangerous.
When children are vaccinated against chickenpox, it is interesting to many parents.
Indications for conduction
Vaccination against chickenpox is recommended for everyone (both adults and children) who does notsuffered this infectious disease. It is especially important for employees of kindergartens and schools to protect themselves from the virus when planning a pregnancy.
Some parents are wondering if it's worth vaccinating against chickenpox for a child who has already been ill. Pediatricians argue that this is not necessary, since the disease leaves the child with lifelong immunity and in most cases does not develop again.
At what age is it held?
So, when do children get the varicella vaccine? Experts recommend that children be vaccinated against chickenpox at the age of 2 years. WHO recommends that this vaccine be given at 1 year of age, at the same time as rubella, mumps and measles.
How long does the vaccine last?
Scientific studies have shown that in most cases, the varicella vaccine forms stable immunity in childhood for the rest of life. However, abroad, such a vaccination is repeated once every 10-12 years for more stable protection against the infectious agent.
Contraindications
Vaccination against varicella is not carried out in the following cases:
- If the child is ill with SARS or an intestinal infection (after such diseases, a medical withdrawal is required for a period of 3-4 weeks).
- Baby undergoing chemotherapy.
- The child received a blood transfusion (3 months should pass before vaccination).
- The baby's chronic pathology has worsened (vaccination is allowed only during a period of stable remission).
- Child had meningitisor he was injected with immunoglobulins (in such cases, the vaccination is done at least 6 months later).
- The baby is allergic to the components of the drug.
- A child has been diagnosed with severe leukopenia.
Vaccination for pathologies of the liver, heart, kidneys, hematopoietic organs, as well as for allergic reactions or other pathological conditions after previously administered vaccines should be decided with the doctor individually for each child.
How is it transferring?
Vaccination against chicken pox is considered one of the easiest for a child's body. The reaction of most babies after the introduction of this vaccine does not include side effects. Only a small number of babies have redness, soreness and slight swelling at the injection site. These adverse reactions usually occur within a few days after vaccination and resolve on their own within 1-2 days.
In addition, there may be some common symptoms that develop from 7 to 21 days after vaccination:
- slight deterioration in general well-being, weakness;
- formation on the skin of a rash, like with chickenpox;
- increased body temperature;
- development of pruritus;
- slight soreness and swollen lymph nodes.
The above symptoms do not require therapeutic measures and disappear on their own.
If you do not take into account contraindications to vaccination, after vaccination, the baby may developthe following complications:
- shingles;
- exudative erythema;
- thrombocytopenia;
- violation of nerve sensitivity;
- joint damage;
- encephalitis.
Immediately after the vaccination procedure, the baby may develop a short-term ailment that resolves on its own within a day.
Used medicines
Vaccination against chickenpox is carried out with the following drugs:
- Varilrix is a Belgian product that has been used in Russia since 2008. It is presented as a powder in a vial, which comes with a syringe filled with a special liquid.
- Okavax is a vaccine produced in France and used in Russia since 2010. This drug is produced in the form of two vials, the first of which contains the dried virus, and the second contains the dilution liquid.
In addition to the weakened chickenpox virus, these vaccines contain elements such as the antibiotic neomycin, gelatin, sucrose, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, EDTA and other substances. Both medicines are safe for children and effectively protect against the development of chickenpox. When the chickenpox vaccine is given, it is important to find out ahead of time.
How is it done?
If the vaccine is administered to a child under 13 years of age, then a strong immune defense can be formed even after one vaccination. In adolescence after 13 years of age and adult patients, two doses are needed, which are administered with6-10 weeks apart.
Chickenpox vaccine is injected subcutaneously into the area of the deltoid brachialis muscle, but intramuscular administration of the vaccine is also allowed. You can put the vaccine in the area under the shoulder blade. Intravenous administration of these vaccines is strictly prohibited.
Compatible with other vaccines
Children can be given other inactivated vaccines at the same time, such as mumps, measles and rubella. A combination with an influenza vaccine is also possible in some cases, but in this case an inactivated preparation must be used. Live flu vaccines should not be given at the same time as the chickenpox vaccine. Chickenpox vaccination for children is not combined with BCG.
Where do they do it?
Where can I get the chickenpox vaccine?
You can vaccinate a child in any public clinic, special center, private medical clinic or other medical institution where such procedures are allowed. These institutions employ medical specialists who will administer the vaccine to the baby without any problems.
Vaccines cost approximately 2500-4500 rubles.
Vaccination treatment for children after chickenpox
The best time for the procedure is the first 1.5 years of life. At this time, the child still has little contact with people, which means that the risk of infection and the development of the disease is low. After routine vaccinations, the child's body has the necessary strength to develop immune responses to infectious agents.
However, in a period of deterioration in he alth and well-beingchild, it is better to postpone the planned procedure until the moment of recovery. The doctor, together with the parents, decides whether to postpone or cancel these medical procedures.
Medotvod is a contraindication for vaccination, prescribed by a specialist for 3 or more months. This document is issued on the basis of a list of contraindications approved in official sources and regulations.
Contraindications vary by timing:
- permanent, when the terms of the medical exemption are constantly extended, and parents need to carefully monitor the he alth of the child;
- temporary: after the end of the medical withdrawal period, vaccination is carried out according to an individual scheme.
This document is issued for a period of 3-6 months. Then two options are possible: the conclusion of the doctor that preventive vaccination is allowed, or the extension of the withdrawal for the next 6 months. Many parents are concerned about the question: where and when is the medical tap done? The conclusion about the state of he alth of the child is given by a pediatrician or a narrow specialist. Then, a final decision is made at a special immunological commission, in accordance with the doctor's recommendations. An appropriate mark is made in the children's vaccination record card and a special vaccination journal.
The following are reviews of the varicella vaccine for children. Find out the opinion of parents.
Reviews
Parents who vaccinated their children against chickenpox note that in most cases the babies tolerated the vaccine easily, but sometimes they hadweakness and slight malaise. The chickenpox vaccine is quite expensive, so not every parent can afford it. Such procedures were carried out mainly in district children's clinics. Parents say that the chickenpox vaccination follows the same pattern as any other vaccination. Consultation with a specialist is required before the event.
We looked at how the varicella vaccine is given to children.
