Vaccination against tularemia: to do or not, let's deal

Vaccination against tularemia is not mandatory, and the majority have little idea about what it is. So in this article we will try to answer all questions that may arise the average person.

This disease used to be called rat disease, small plague, rabbit fever. People were clearly associated it with wild rodents and noticed a frightening similarity with the plague. Confirmation of the popular rumor came later – at the beginning of the last century, when doctors investigated the causative agent is the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

Its main carriers – rodents: rabbits, hares, mice, rats, and so on. Man it can be transmitted from contact with blood and other bodily fluids of infected animals through undercooked meat, infected water, the bloodsucking insects, less aspiration by inhalation of dust particles in the blood or urine of animals. It is therefore most at risk of infection in rural areas and working in agriculture and livestock.

Tularemia focal disease, characterized by local outbreaks, which may have involved tens or hundreds, rarely thousands of people.

In the 90 years in Russia the number of cases per year fell to 100-400 people, but now began again to record the increase in the number of cases and outbreaks. And it happened in the first place because of the abolition of compulsory vaccination.

Features of the vaccine

Currently used vaccine against tularemia is a live attenuated bacteria. The statement requires that the culture was stored in vials in dry form and divorced with distilled water immediately before administration.

Before the introduction, be sure to conduct serological test to determine the presence of immunity against this bacterium. On a clean disinfected the skin causing a drop of the drug containing tularemi, and scarifier, make a small scratch.

Vaccination itself is carried out in a similar way. Instructions for administration of the drug clearly describes the process: on the skin of the forearm at a distance from each other is applied two drops of the drug, and what special osopinion a spear through them is carried out according to two parallel superficial scratches. It is important to control their depth – to apply so that made only a small drop of blood. After the vaccine give to dry completely.

The vaccine can do separately from other or simultaneous administration of the drug plague and brucellosis on different sites.

In some cases vaccination is carried out not by means of surface method, and the introduction of the drug into the skin.

The immunity is formed within 20-30 days and protects from the disease within 5 years. After that, if necessary, vaccination is repeated.

A reaction to the vaccine

As for vaccination using a live, though weakened by the bacteria, the vaccine should elicit a response. Most often it manifests itself in the following way:

• Redness, swelling at the injection site for 2-4 days.
• The appearance of the scratch small blisters and later scabs.
• General weakness, lethargy, lack of appetite.
• Increasing the temperature to 37-38 degrees for up to 2-3 days.
• Lymphadenopathy.

These side effects are not dangerous. On the contrary, they say that vaccination is successful, and formed the immune system. If not on day 5, the vaccination will be repeated after a month.

At the same time, sometimes there are more serious complications:

• Increasing the temperature to 40 degrees.
• Common allergic reactions: Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock.
• Inflammation, tenderness of the lymph nodes.

The probability of such an acute reaction is quite low, but to eliminate the primary threat of complications after vaccination against tularemia are recommended to be under doctor's supervision for about half an hour.

It should be noted that a more rapid response to the introduction of the drug observed with revaccination, as well as people who were ill with tularemia. Therefore, contraindications include the presence of active immunity to it.

Contraindications to the vaccine

The vaccine against tularemia requires that the drug was not administered in the following cases:

• Children up to 7 years.
• The period of pregnancy or lactation.
• The presence of any acute illness, and the period of exacerbations of chronic in the last month.
• Bronchial asthma, a tendency to severe allergic reactions: swelling Kwinke, anaphylactic shock.
• Chemotherapy, radiation, immunosuppressive therapy in the last 3 months.
• Cancer, diseases of the connective tissues.
• Any formimmunodeficiency's.

If possible, vaccination is carried out later or eliminated altogether, depending on the type of contraindications and epidemiological situation in the region.

Who needs vaccination?

Since today tularemia reported only local outbreaks, required vaccines to children and adults it is not. But there are categories of people who have a higher risk to encounter it:

• Living in the region, which were recently or are now outbreaks of tularemia.
• Related to agriculture and animal husbandry, workers in elevators, granaries and so on.
• Working on farms or in factories, processing skins of rodents.
• Living in areas where there is growth in the number of rodents.
• Hunters.

It is desirable that the vaccination was carried out in advance at least 2-3 weeks before the alleged contact with the agent. This is not always possible, but agricultural workers are recommended to get vaccinated before the season starts.

In conclusion, let's summarize. Vaccination against tularemia requires people who, because of place of residence or profession may face with infected rodents. This is carried out by means of surface method and normally causes a reaction. The immunity lasts for 5 years.

I hope that now you better understand where this vaccination is done, what it constitutes, what are the contraindications when needed and when not. Make the decision to vaccinate can only you, and now you have the minimum necessary information.