Compulsory vaccinations for children – when to do? Why should children be vaccinated?

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Vaccinations for children – why should children be vaccinated, and are vaccinations dangerous? These are issues that raise doubts among parents, especially because of common myths about immunization. Check which vaccinations for children are compulsory, when to have them and why vaccinations are compulsory.

Compulsory vaccinations

Few topics related to parenting have aroused as much emotion in recent years as immunization of children. Many myths and misconceptions have arisen around vaccinations, so now we explain in an accessible way what the essence of childhood immunization is, we refute false opinions about them and we explain which vaccinations in children are mandatory and which are recommended.

It’s worth starting with the issue obligation of preventive vaccinations in Poland. It is regulated by law and aims to maintain a high level of immunity in society. Failure to comply with it will result in a fine. In this way, epidemics are prevented, and some diseases were eliminated years ago. An example is polio (Heine-Medin disease), the incidence of which began to decline after the implementation of the universal vaccination program for this disease in the 50s. In Poland, the last case of polio was recorded in 1984.

Compulsory vaccinations keep high herd immunity for infectious diseases. This means that due to the high percentage of acquired immunity in a given community (usually above 90%), the disease cannot spread. Vaccination is not compulsory in some countries, but this does not mean that few parents in these communities vaccinate their children. If vaccinations are voluntary, public awareness is promoted or access to kindergartens and schools is restricted for unvaccinated children. In this way, immunization of children is indirectly encouraged as it is the primary method of preventing epidemics.

Why do we vaccinate children?

When a child is born, it has the so-called primary immunity. However, it is not enough for his immune system to cope with all diseases for a simple reason. Bacteria and viruses, as much simpler forms of life, evolve much faster than humans, which is why they now exist in forms that the newborn’s body is not prepared for.

For this reason, children should be given vaccines, i.e. preparations containing weakened or killed microorganisms, or their toxins secreted in a neutralized form. Latest vaccines they are also artificially produced imitations of their structures. In this way, the immune system learns about them and learns to recognize and combat real pathogens without the risk of disease passing through. Without such preparation, the antibodies may not detect the threat at all and do not put up any resistance to the development of infection in the toddler’s body. This, in turn, can lead to serious complications, including death.

It is precisely the complications of infectious diseases that should not be taken lightly. In some cases, a child can go through the disease without harm, but severe infections are observed in a proportion of children. An example is measles, where up to one in more than XNUMX children develops subacute sclerosing encephalitis, a disease that results in death.

Vaccinations for children – facts and myths

Especially in recent years, the so-called anti-vaccine movements that question the validity and safety of vaccination in children. Unfortunately, most disseminating information is based on rumors or outdated research.

The most common myth is that vaccination is supposed to cause autism in children. However, whoever understands the essence of this disorder also sees the absurdity of this idea. Autism is a congenital defect that develops even before the birth of a child. Popularity the myth about the relationship between autism and vaccination is probably due to the fact that the first signs of this disorder occur around the time the first immunizations are given. However, this is a temporal coincidence that does not imply a causal effect of vaccines on a child’s psychological development.

1. Read more: Vaccinations do not cause autism

Another controversy concerns substances added to the graftedas preservatives. There is a lot of talk about the harmful mercury content in these preparations. It is also quite a misunderstanding because the compound does not exist in pure vaccines, but in the form of ethylmercury called thiomersal. It is a safe form of this element, just as pure oxygen is practically poisonous to humans, but at the same time we can consume it in large amounts in water. Moreover, preservatives in vaccines are found in extremely low amounts.

Another repeated myth is that vaccines are made from aborted fetuses. However, this is a considerable distortion. In fact, there are three types of vaccines: measles, mumps and rubella, varicella and hepatitis A. The viruses for their production are grown on cell lines that were collected in the 60s from fetuses removed after a court ruling from other causes. So this is more like organ donation, and moreover, no parts of these fetuses from 60 years ago are found in vaccines.

It is worth knowing that vaccinations are not just a matter of individual choice. Unvaccinated children can inadvertently transmit diseases to those in whom they are objective contraindications to vaccinations, for example, patients with organ transplants or those with an inherited defect of the immune system. This is why compulsory vaccinations are so important. It builds the immunity of the population so that people who cannot get vaccinated have a much better chance of avoiding contamination.

Compulsory vaccines for children

Compulsory vaccines are free and are given to children according to the vaccination calendar, published annually on the website of the National Institute of Public Health. In practice, these vaccinations are obligatory for children and adolescents up to 19 years of age. The first doses are already given to newborns during the first XNUMX hours after birth. The vaccination calendar is also known as the Protective Vaccination Program, which includes vaccinations for the following infectious diseases:

1. Hepatitis B;
2. tuberculosis;
3. diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough- DTP;
4. Haemophilus influenzae typu B;
5. pneumococcal;
6. poliomyelitis (polio) – IPV;
7. measles, mumps, rubella – MMR vaccine.

Some vaccinations are given to children in several doses, with appropriate time intervals being important here. Such booster vaccinations is done because the levels of antibodies to the specific pathogen gradually decline. With the next dose of vaccination, the immune system gets back into action.

In order to minimize the number of visits to the doctor for vaccination, you can use 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 vaccines. These are modern combination vaccines that allow a child to be vaccinated against several infectious diseases in one go. The advantages of these preparations are their modern formula and the ability to minimize the stress that may accompany a child during injections accompanying separate doses of vaccines.

1. Check the 2019 vaccination calendar. Remember that the calendar is updated every year!

Failure to comply with compulsory vaccinations may result in legal proceedings and a fine. Failure to vaccinate a child is tantamount to neglect, which may endanger his health and life.

Vaccines recommended for children

Recommended vaccines are not reimbursed by the National Health Fund. Parents who choose to have them can protect their children from meningococcus, rotavirus, chickenpox, the flu, tick-borne encephalitis, hepatitis A and Neisseria meningitidis. However, it is worth remembering that the Ministry of Health organizes campaigns under which some vaccinations are reimbursed. Therefore, it is good to follow the annual programs implemented for the prevention and promotion of health. Thanks to this, you can vaccinate your child free of charge.

Preparation for vaccination

Your child should be examined by your GP before vaccination. Vaccination date needs to be changed if your child is sick or develops an infection. A similar recommendation applies to vaccinating adults. If we observe disease symptoms, even mild ones, a few days before vaccination, it is a contraindication to the procedure. When we are not sure whether it is possible to vaccinate a child on a given date, the most important thing is to talk to the doctor. He should be informed not only about any symptoms, but also about any illnesses, allergies, medications or reactions to previous vaccinations.

You should have the vaccination record book and the child’s health record with you on the day of vaccination. The child should wear comfortable clothes that are easy to remove. In the case of the youngest, a pacifier, a diaper or a toy may be useful to distract the child from the procedure.

NOP – adverse vaccine reactions

The vaccine adverse reaction is abbreviated as NOP. It is a phenomenon that is your body does not react properly to the vaccine you are givenwhich results in a deterioration of health. Typically, NOP can occur from several hours to four weeks after vaccination, with different timeframes appearing with BCG vaccination for tuberculosis.

The reason for the occurrence of undesirable post-vaccination reactions may be individual reactions of the body to the vaccine, its inappropriate administration, allergy to the ingredients of the preparation or occurring independently of vaccination, and only accidentally coincide with the procedure. Quite often, mild local reactions that disappear spontaneously are observed after vaccination. These include pain at the injection site, as well as swelling and redness. A low-grade fever and generally worse well-being are also considered mild reactions.

Read more about:

1. Vaccination reactions
2. Fever after vaccination

Very rarely there are adverse vaccination reactions that are serious (high fever, allergic reactions, anaphylactic reactions) or severe (anaphylactic shock, thrombocytopenia, infection). Complications of diseases for which vaccinations are administered are much more frequent than in cases of NOP that require a visit to the hospital. If you are concerned about your child’s reaction to vaccination, you should see a doctor.