14 diseases that we (almost) forgot thanks to vaccinations

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Vaccinations have resulted in the elimination of many diseases that used to be a serious threat to life and health, or the associated risk has significantly decreased. However, maintaining herd immunity requires mass vaccination on a large scale. What diseases have been brought under control thanks to vaccines that we have forgotten today how serious a problem they were?

1. Thanks to mass vaccination programs, it was possible to completely eliminate or significantly reduce the cases of many infectious diseases
2. Polio, diphtheria and smallpox are examples of diseases that could not be stopped if not for vaccinations
3. Unfortunately, some diseases may come back as more and more parents choose not to vaccinate their children
4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

Polio – a disease absent in Poland for decades

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is also known as Heine-Medin disease. The disease is infectious in nature and caused by polioviruses. Pathogens are transmitted from person to person and can travel to the brain or spinal cord, causing paresis, muscle paralysis and paralysis. In the past, polio was a problem in Europe and the world, but the introduction of mass vaccination has resulted in almost complete eradication of the disease.

Thanks to the polio vaccine brought to Poland thanks to the involvement of prof. Hilary Koprowski, its inventor, already in the 60s the number of cases in the country dropped significantly. The last case of polio in Poland was recorded in 1984 – it was caused by a wild type virus. Today, polio vaccination is still practiced because the virus still causes disease in some countries. This runs the risk of bringing the disease in, and vaccinations are continued to maintain immunity in the community and keep polio from returning.

Polio in Poland: Has not been present for nearly 40 years.

The polio vaccine in Poland: compulsory. It is performed as a basic vaccination between 3 and 4, 5 and 6 months of age, and also at 16-18. month of life. Revaccination is performed in children aged 6 years.

Tetanus – a disease of the nervous system

Tetanus is contagious, but it is not contagious. It is caused by the bacteria of the tetanus bacteria, which can enter the human body through a contaminated wound. Symptoms of tetanus include painful muscle spasms and trismus. The disease can be fatal. A disease of tetanus does not prevent a person from developing it in the future. The tetanus vaccine is given to children in several doses, and booster doses are also given to adults.

Tetanus in Poland: thanks to common vaccinations, tetanus has been eliminated in children, but isolated cases still occur in the elderly (over 60 years of age).

Tetanus vaccine in Poland: compulsory for children and in risk groups. Subsequent doses in children are given:

1. in the 2nd month of life;
2. between 3 and 4 months of age;
3. between 5 and 6 months of age;
4. between 16 and 18 months of age;
5. booster doses are given at 6, 14 and 19 years of age.

If there is a high risk of wound infection, a booster dose of tetanus vaccine or antitoxin is given.

Diphtheria, or dangerous diphtheria

The life-threatening diphtheria, or diphtheria, is caused by coryneform bacteria. These bacteria are transmitted by airborne droplets or from direct contact with sick people or animals. Today, diphtheria appears to be a strange-sounding disease with unknown symptoms, thanks to common vaccines. However, the disease still exists, as evidenced by even a few cases in Europe.

Characteristic symptom of diphtheria there is tissue necrosis which manifests as a black or gray coating in the throat, tonsils, larynx, nose and sometimes other organs. Diphtheria can cause suffocation, paralysis, cardiac arrest, or other complications. In the past, diphtheria caused epidemics with high mortality. Mass vaccinations introduced in Poland in the 50s made it possible to reduce and then almost completely eliminate the disease. The last case was confirmed in Poland in 2001.

Diphtheria in Poland: currently not present, but there is a risk of importing the disease from abroad.

Diphtheria vaccine in Poland: compulsory. The immunization schedule is identical to that used for the tetanus vaccine, as children are given the DTP combination vaccine to immunize against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.

Whooping cough – the cause of coughing and hypoxia

In the 50s and 60s, whooping cough in Poland was a common cause of death among children under 1 year of age. This bacterial disease, otherwise known as whooping cough, is very contagious, as up to 80-90 percent of the people in contact with a sick person may catch an infection. In the course of whooping cough, cough, apnea and hypoxia appear. Complications of the disease can lead to death, especially in infants.

The whooping cough vaccine has minimized the number of cases of this disease in Poland. The best situation was in the 80s and until the mid 90s, then an increase in the incidence was observed.

Whooping cough in Poland: from 20 to several thousand cases per year.

Pertussis vaccine in Poland: mandatory. It is administered in the form of a DTP preparation, i.e. a combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Measles – a disease of unvaccinated people

Measles is an illness caused by a virus that spreads very easily and can cause epidemics. The disease is especially dangerous for children and people with weakened immune systems. You can catch it by staying in a room where a person with measles was previously – the infection is likely for up to two consecutive hours. Measles is primarily a threat to unvaccinated people.

The measles vaccine is called MMR vaccine, i.e. a ternary vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella. It is the only effective method of protection against the disease, as there are no medications to fight the measles virus and only symptomatic treatment is used. Serious complications of measles that can lead to death include encephalitis and subacute sclerosing encephalitis (LESS).

Although we as a society have almost managed to forget about measles, an increase in the number of cases has been observed in recent years. In 2018, their number exceeded 84 thousand. in the WHO European Region, and thus the largest number of patients, in 10 years. The reason for this is the declining percentage of people vaccinated – more and more parents do not agree to compulsory measles vaccination in their children.

Odra in Poland: the main outbreaks are a consequence of imported cases, but since mid-2018 the number of cases has been increasing and the vaccination coverage of our population has fallen below the recommended level.

Measles vaccine in Poland: compulsory from 1975. The first dose of vaccine is given between 13 and 15 months of age, and the second dose is given at 6 years of age (before 2019, the second dose was given at 10 years of age).

Read also: Where did the anti-vaccine movements come from?

Rubella – a threat to pregnant women

The viral infection known as rubella is usually mildly or asymptomatically transmitted by children, but poses a risk to pregnant women. The disease can lead to birth defects in the unborn baby, and can lead to miscarriage or death shortly after birth. In Poland, rubella is observed in the form of epidemics that occur every few years. The last one (over 38 thousand cases) occurred in 2013.

Rubella in Poland: is most commonly recognized in Europe. This is due to the new disease registration system, which is based on clinical diagnosis – laboratory tests are rarely performed.

Rubella vaccine in Poland: compulsory. The scheme includes basic vaccination at 13–15 months of age and supplementary vaccination at 6 years of age. The MMR preparation is used, containing not only the rubella strain, but also two other viruses – measles and mumps.

Mumps – a virus that is especially dangerous for boys

The mumps virus causes widespread inflammation of the parotid glands, which is associated with a symptom in the form of swelling around the mandible. There is no cure for this infectious disease. Complications of mumps are more common in boys than in girls and can cause meningitis, pancreatitis, and testicular inflammation leading to impaired fertility.

Pig in PolandSince the introduction of compulsory vaccinations, the number of cases has decreased, and epidemics that repeat every few years (up to 220 cases a year) have been eliminated.

Mumps vaccine in Poland: mandatory. It is only performed in the associated MMR form.

Check: When not to vaccinate a child? Contraindications to vaccinations

Hepatitis B

One of the most dangerous infectious diseases transmitted through blood and body fluids is hepatitis B. Annually, nearly 800 people die from it worldwide. people. The disease occurs in acute and chronic forms, and in the initial stage it is asymptomatic. Thanks to vaccinations in Poland, since the 90s, the number of cases of hepatitis B has significantly decreased.

Hepatitis B in Poland: occurs sporadically, with chronic hepatitis B infections being detected in people who became infected before the introduction of compulsory vaccinations and new recommendations regarding the sterilization of medical equipment.

Vaccine against hepatitis B in Poland: obligatory. Children are given three doses of the vaccine – in the first 24 hours of life, at 2 months of age and between 3 and 4 months of age.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A, or hepatitis A, is especially hard in adults, causing gastrointestinal symptoms and less flu-like. Jaundice is a characteristic and quite common symptom. Patients with hepatitis A often require hospitalization. Transmission of the disease is mainly through sexual contact, insufficient hand hygiene, and contaminated food or water.

As in the case of hepatitis B, an effective vaccine has also been invented for the hepatitis A disease. The hepatitis A vaccine provides lifelong protection against the disease.

Hepatitis A in Poland: rare (so far, on average, several dozen cases per year), but in 2017 a sharp, as much as 80-fold increase in the number of cases was observed.

Vaccine against hepatitis A in Poland: recommended, so without funding from the Ministry of Health.

Chickenpox – an unpredictable infectious disease

Chicken pox manifests itself in a characteristic way, i.e. itchy rash, fever, malaise, headache. Although it is often mild, it causes serious complications in a few percent of cases. The disease is so unpredictable that complications may also appear in previously healthy people (over time, shingles may develop). Acute thrombocytopenia and neurological symptoms are common, and inflammation of the kidneys, heart muscle or brain is rare.

Chickenpox in Poland: occurs frequently (150-220 people per year).

Varicella vaccine in Poland: obligatory in risk groups, i.e. in children up to 12 years of age with environmental indications.

Hib, or Heamophilus influenzae type b

Heamophilus influenzae type b is a bacterium that is one of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis, as well as epiglottitis. Hib is responsible for many serious illnesses in children up to five years of age. Complications of infection include epilepsy, deafness, gait disturbances, as well as intellectual development disorders.

Hib in Poland: since the introduction of compulsory vaccination in 2007, low morbidity, an average of several dozen cases per year.

Hib vaccine in Poland: mandatory. Two vaccination schedules for Hib are used. The first is four doses: between 7 and 8 weeks of age, 3 and 4 months of age, 5 and 6 months of age, plus a booster dose at 16-18. month of life. The second vaccination schedule for Hib consists of two doses given between 6 and 12 months of age and a booster dose one year after the second dose.

Pneumococcal disease is dangerous for children and seniors

Pneumococcal infections are caused by pneumococci, bacteria that attack the upper and lower respiratory tract. They cause inflammation of the throat, sinuses, bronchi, lungs and ear. In more serious cases, they cause meningitis and sepsis. The most dangerous is invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), in which permanent organ damage and death occur. Pneumococci are the most dangerous for children under 2 years of age and people aged 65 and over.

Pneumococcus in Poland: non-invasive infections may affect tens of thousands of people annually, while IPD has been detected in recent years and at least several hundred patients a year.

Pneumococcal vaccine in Poland: compulsory in children between 6 weeks and 2 years of age, and also in children in the case of certain diseases, injuries, transplants or defects of the nervous system.

Rotaviruses and diseases of the digestive system

Rotaviruses are a common source of gastroenteritis in children up to 5 years of age. Acute symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and high fever contribute to dehydration which can be a serious problem for young children. Heavy rotavirus diarrhea require hospitalization. The rotavirus vaccine does not completely protect against the infection, but it does make the body pass the disease gently.

Rotaviruses in Poland: infections are quite common (around 200 a year), especially in the winter months.

Rotavirus vaccine in Poland: recommended between 6 and 24 weeks of age.

Flu – Still a Current Problem

Influenza is a common viral disease of the respiratory tract in the population. The course of infection is varied – usually mild in healthy people, but for patients at risk, complications of the disease may be life-threatening. Due to the constant mutation of the influenza virus, a new vaccine is developed each season. In order to maintain immunity to the new flu strains, it is necessary to have regular vaccinations as soon as a new preparation is released.

Flu in Poland: a common disease that causes seasonal epidemics. Several hundred thousand to several million cases of influenza and suspected influenza are registered each year.

Influenza vaccine in Poland: optional. However, it is recommended to perform this vaccination for clinical, individual and epidemiological indications, e.g. in people at risk or exposed to contact with the virus for professional reasons.