Vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus: find out what it is and why you need

Tetanus shot and diphtheria is among the obligatory almost in all countries. The first time it makes the infants, then at school, but adults can not forget about the danger of these diseases.

Privivka ot difterii i stolbnyaka: razbiraemsya, chto eto takoe i zachem nuzhno

You need these vaccinations today?

Tetanus and diphtheria – one of the most serious diseases. Today, even with timely initiation of treatment, the mortality from diphtheria in children under 12 years of age reaches 10%. For tetanus, these numbers are even higher – about 50% in developed countries. Worse performance only in the rabies treatment which still does not exist. Natural protection against these diseases, even had their people are not immune to re-infection.

Today, after decades of mandatory mass vaccinations, these diseases are quite rare, and many people do not take them seriously. But if we look at the statistics of the century, you can understand how serious they are: about 10% of all children under 10 years of age were ill with diphtheria. Half of them died. That is, 5% of all children born died of diphtheria. Tetanus less frequent, but it was a clear penalty.

Despite the growing number of people refusing vaccination, in a society still have so-called herd immunity, when a large number of immune to this disease people are not allowed to develop to epidemics.

But because of the false sense of security, many people refuse vaccinations, believing that their chances of getting infected are extremely low. The probability is really not great, but not zero.

For example, in Europe in the 60-ies, after several decades of mass vaccination had a close situation. A sharp decline in the number of cases of diphtheria has spawned a careless attitude toward vaccination among the population. As a result, the outbreak of diphtheria. Since then, the vaccine remains mandatory, despite the low number of cases.

What is a vaccine?

Vaccination against these diseases is often complex – one vaccine, which contains two or more components: diphtheria, tetanus, and these can be added the serum from whooping cough, polio and other diseases.

Children under 5 years of doing the DPT vaccine against pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria. Older children and adults protivoluchevye component not include. But this vaccine often causes complaints of parents and complaints of a large number of complications. To complications we will return later, but you should understand the portability.

Privivka ot difterii i stolbnyaka: razbiraemsya, chto eto takoe i zachem nuzhno

Neither tetanus nor diphtheria Bacillus in vaccines is not contained. By themselves, these bacteria is not dangerous for the body. The threat is the toxin that they produce in the process of life. It is this toxin, but cleaned and safe, is contained in the vaccination. After its introduction into the body, the immune system responds like any alien component: to identify, to remember, to produce antibodies. After the course of vaccination in the body create a strong immunity to these toxins and even if the bacteria penetrate the body, the disease or won't start at all, or will proceed in an easy manner and without dangerous consequences.

But protivokashleva serum contains a live, though weakened and immobilized bacteria. Because of this, most often, pertussis vaccine and similar vaccines have side reactions.

What to do to protect the child? Not vaccinate at all is not the solution. All these diseases are extremely serious and potential fatal outcome. Two options:

  • To properly prepare your child for vaccination and how to minimize risks theoretically possible consequences. They are, incidentally, not so high – the reaction to the vaccine account for about 30% of children.
  • Extra charge to purchase imported vaccines analogs that do not contain live cultures of whooping cough.

Which option to choose – you decide. Both have the right to life.

In some cases, children under 5 years vaccinated Lite ADS, but then it can stay without protection against pertussis.

If vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria?

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ACDC vaccine

DTP is the most popular vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria in Russia. Extend it for free, so often children and adults vaccinated with this drug or related to it (for example, ADS). This vaccine of a domestic production, that in itself confuses many. An even greater effect creates a large number of negative reviews from parents. They have numerous adverse reactions, as true complications.

The reality is a little different. Temperature, redness, induration at the injection site, anxiety is a normal, natural reaction. And it indicates that the immune system recognize the administered substance and fight with them.

Example: if after the introduction of the vaccine tularemia no local response, vaccination is repeated. In this case, redness and inflammation – an indicator of the formation of the immune system.

In the case of these sera, the lack of reaction does not require repetition. Approximately 70% of children have no adverse reactions or they are so small that it doesn't attract the attention of parents.

Another factor that increases the number of negative reviews about vaccination: planning and do them 3 to 6 months. It was at this time the deadline of maternal antibodies to various microorganisms, and the child's increased sensitivity to disease-causing viruses and bacteria. And the probability to meet them in the clinic is much higher than during normal walking. At the same time they begin to erupt teeth, causing restlessness, fever and many other symptoms.

Thus, often, adverse reactions, unpleasant symptoms after the vaccine are not linked, and coincidence.

How to reduce the likelihood of side effects?

Privivka ot difterii i stolbnyaka: razbiraemsya, chto eto takoe i zachem nuzhno

So the vaccine was given less unpleasant symptoms, doctors recommend to properly plan their actions before and after:

  • The day before inoculations to reduce the amount of food: reduce the amount and concentration of milk formula, to reduce the feeding time. Also less feed to the day of vaccination and the day after.
  • To increase the amount of fluid intake.
  • On techniques who contraindications to vaccination rather small. A slight cold, diathesis, runny nose do not belong to them. But if the child showed concern on the eve of vaccination, it is better to postpone for a few days.
  • The day before inoculation and before you can give an antihistamine in a standard dose.
  • If possible, you should go to the clinic with someone else. A long wait in a hot stuffy corridors may not best affect the condition of the child. Therefore, while one person waits in the queue, the second with a child walking on the street.
  • After vaccination it is possible to give prophylactic antipyretic. The standard recommendation is not to bring down the temperature below 38.5 degrees – not applicable to this case. For the formation of the immune system temperature rise does not matter, so if it reaches 37.5 degrees, it is possible to use an antipyretic.

By following these recommendations the side effects are much rarer.

Absolute contraindications include only allergic reactions to the drug components and primary and secondary immunodeficiency.

If the next scheduled vaccine was moved seriously, the next best is to replace serums without live cultures of whooping cough.

Normal adverse reactions after vaccination

Given that the standard DPT vaccine causes side effects in 30 cases out of 100, you should know how they can look like and how to distinguish normal reactions from complications:

  • Rise in temperature. Increase it can only in the first days after the vaccine. Otherwise it causes more infection, not related to vaccination. Holding such temperature for 2-3 days and rarely reaches 38.5 degrees.
  • Local reaction. Pain, redness and swelling of not more than 8 inches, the seal is no more than 4-5 inches in the place where was introduced the vaccine. The formation of the bumps.
  • Anxiety, agitation, crying or sleepiness, lethargy, apathy.
  • Digestive disorders: diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea.

What can be complications?

Again, you must repeat itself a vaccine against these two diseases are transferred easily. Problems often occur due to kolychevo component. Therefore, adults may worry about: after 5 years it is excluded from the vaccine. But even when using standard DTP the likelihood of complications is not too big:

  • Temperature above 39 degrees – 1%.
  • Prolonged continuous crying for more than 3 hours is 0.5%.
  • Afebrile seizures (not associated with temperature increase) – 0,05%.
  • Persistent neuralgic disorders – 0,00001%.
  • The impairment of renal function – 2 cases described in the literature.
  • Anaphylactic shock is a probability of about 0,000001%.
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Thus, the probability to meet up with these complications is quite low. It should be noted that the appearance of the diseases against which vaccination is directed, the chance to face these and many other complications is many times higher.

Of course, the absence of immunity does not guarantee infection. But is it worth the risk – everyone has to decide for himself.

When not to vaccinate?

All contraindications can be divided into 2 groups: relative and absolute. In the first case the vaccination delay, and the second is replaced with another or refuse altogether.

Relative contraindications: fever, any acute illness, weight below 2.5 kg newborns, recently passed a course of therapy that suppress the immune system.

Absolute contraindications: immunodeficiency of any type of severe allergic reaction to vaccine components.

Because severe reactions component vaccines against pertussis, the standard DTP can replace lightweight ADS. Or parents can choose her drug of similar action, but without live cultures kolusheva sticks.

When you do the inoculation?

Vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus throughout his life man must get a few times. Standard, the recommended scheme is as follows:

  • Vaccination of children first year of life: three vaccinations with a difference of 45 days. Most often, they begin to do with 3 months.
  • The first revaccination at the age of 1.5 years.
  • The second in the age 6-7 years.
  • The third in 14-15 years.

Thereafter, vaccination should be repeated every 10 years for adults. Because tetanus, and diphtheria are universal diseases that can be transmitted at any age. In children they are most destructive, but adults may die after infection.

To maintain the activity of the immune system, vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria must be repeated at 25, 35, 45, 55, respectively.

If a child is not vaccinated, or after vaccination has been more than 10 years, the required full course. Adults make some shots: at the time of treatment, after 1.5 months and a year respectively. Following are doing through a standard period of 10 years.

As the shot?

A vaccine against these diseases administered only in large, well-developed muscles in the region where there is extensive fat. To create the correct reaction of the organism and the consequences were the vaccine should be absorbed into the bloodstream gradually over 5-7 days.

Therefore, children, it is administered only in the thigh muscle that is well developed even in the age of several months. Adults often choose the area under the shoulder blade. In some cases, the injections do into the muscle of the shoulder. The gluteal region is not suitable: - developed fat layer may increase the likelihood of vaccine into the subcutaneous space, which can be unpleasant consequences: the appearance of the bumps, pain, swelling at the injection site.

I hope that we were able to answer basic questions, and now you have a better understanding of what are these shots and why they are needed.