All you need to know about childhood vaccine
What are childhood vaccine?
Childhood vaccine are given to children as vital materials to strengthen their immune systems and protect them from infectious diseases. Vaccines stimulate the body’s natural defenses and prepare it to receive diseases and fight them faster and more effectively.
Vaccines eradicated diseases such as smallpox and other infections such as polio. They fight against rapidly spreading diseases among unvaccinated children. According to a UNICEF report, vaccines save the lives of 2 to 3 million people every year.
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What are the vaccines given to children?
there are many childhood vaccine such as:
Polio vaccine
It is one of the main vaccines given to children in the world. This vaccine protects children from poliovirus, which affects the nervous system and can lead to paralysis of limbs and breathing. The vaccine is given by injecting it into the arm.
Before the vaccine’s approval, statistics indicate that there were around 350,000 cases of infection annually across 125 countries. In 2020, only 781 cases of polio were documented in just 30 countries. This indicates a significant improvement and impact of the vaccine. It is also safe and effective, as multiple doses of the vaccine are given to children at an early age.
Whooping cough vaccine:
It protects children from whooping cough, which causes severe coughing and extreme fatigue and may lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and shortness of breath. It is administered by injection. t the recommended age of vaccination is 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months, and then at the age of one and a half and 4 years.
According to the WHO, in 2008, pertussis or whooping cough caused 18,903 deaths in the countries of the Region. It is involved in about 2% of deaths of children under 5 years old.
Measles vaccine:
It protects children from measles, which causes high fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, and may cause significant issues, such as pneumonia. This vaccine is administered by injection.
It is recommended that children be vaccinated against measles at 12 and 15 months of age, and the vaccine can be given at any time thereafter.
According to the WHO, about 7 million measles cases are noted annually, and about 89,000 deaths.
Yellow fever vaccine:
Protects against yellow fever virus, a virus spread by mosquitoes that causes liver and muscle damage, and organ failure, and can lead to death. It is given as a single injection that protects for 10 years. It is also recommended for travelers to areas where yellow fever is present.
Aeruginosa pneumonia vaccine:
Protects against pneumonia caused by aeruginosa bacillus, a bacterium that causes upper and lower respiratory tract infections and causes serious illnesses. It is given by one injection or several doses, depending on the type. Vaccination is recommended for people who are at risk of infection such as the elderly, children, and those with chronic diseases.
Diphtheria and tetanus vaccine:
Diphtheria and tetanus are serious bacterial diseases that can lead to death. To safeguard against diphtheria and tetanus, which can cause severe symptoms such as fever, convulsions, and infections of the throat, nose, and lungs, medical personnel and military personnel at risk of infection are advised to receive the vaccine. Children are administered the vaccine at eight weeks and four years old, respectively.
What is the importance of childhood vaccine?
The preservation of children’s health is considered fundamental through the administration of vaccines. They help prevent infectious and dangerous diseases that affect the child’s immune system. It negatively affects their health and life. Among the most important goals of vaccinations for children are:
- Protection from dangerous and infectious diseases.
- Boosting children’s immune systems and strengthening them to fight diseases.
- Reducing the spread of diseases and preserving community health.
- Reducing health complications that may occur as a result of certain diseases, such as permanent disability or death.
- Provide individual and collective protection for children and society in the long term.
What are the cases in which it is forbidden to give the vaccine to children?
There are some cases in which vaccines are not given to children, including children who have:
- Serious medical conditions, such as cancer or an immune system disease, a physician should be consulted before receiving vaccinations.
- A severe allergy to any component of the vaccine.
- Vaccination is postponed until recovery from the disease in the case of high fever or other acute illness.
- For children who have been diagnosed with any type of bacterial or viral meningitis, vaccinations should be delayed until the meningitis is treated and they are cured.
- Children who take some anti-tumor or immunosuppressive drugs, and children in these cases should consult the attending physician before receiving vaccinations.