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From an early age, you can be vaccinated against pneumonia. There are several varieties of it. Like any other vaccine, it can cause complications, but this happens when a person has contraindications to immunization. You need to understand that pneumonia is a deadly disease, and the vaccine can save lives.
Pneumococcal pneumonia is a particular threat. The disease spreads rapidly, as it is transmitted by airborne droplets. Moreover, it is almost impossible to isolate the source of infection. Once in the body, pneumococci most often cause pneumonia, although damage to other organs cannot be ruled out. These bacteria can cause otitis media, meningitis, endocarditis, and even sepsis.
Pneumonia often ends for a sick person with a fatal outcome. Sometimes even the most modern antibiotics are powerless. Bacteria quickly adapt to new drugs, developing resistance to them, so a vaccine was developed to prevent pneumonia. It is she who is the most reliable way to prevent this formidable disease.
Why and who needs a vaccine?
Pneumococci most often provoke purulent-inflammatory processes in the respiratory and nervous system of a person. They cause meningitis, sinusitis, otitis media. Every year, many deaths are recorded in the world caused by pneumococcal infection. At risk are people of different ages with a weakened immune system.
The complexity of therapy is due to the fact that pneumococci have a very dense shell. It is difficult for immune cells to destroy it, so children are vaccinated against pneumococcus at an early age. The vaccine “teaches” macrophages to recognize these bacteria and effectively destroy them.
Pneumonia is transmitted by airborne droplets, anyone can get sick just by being close to an infected person. Once in the body, the bacterium is able to remain dormant for a long time. It is activated when immunity weakens, for example, after suffering stress or hypothermia. Once in the systemic circulation, pneumococci spread through tissues and organs, affecting the lungs, brain, and more.
Signs that the disease manifests itself:
Fever.
Muscle aches.
Shortness of breath and cough with rusty sputum.
The best prevention for pneumonia is vaccination at an early age. Vaccination is necessary for all children, since their immune system is poorly developed, it cannot resist germs, so even a common cold can develop into pneumonia.
It makes no sense to vaccinate against pneumonia for all adults, but it is necessary for certain categories of citizens, namely:
Persons with immunodeficiency: patients with HIV, blood cancer, alcoholics, drug addicts, patients with a removed spleen.
People over 65 years old.
Persons with chronic diseases of the respiratory system, anemia, diabetes mellitus, kidney and liver diseases.
To all military personnel, employees of nursing homes, kindergartens and schools.
People with congenital anomalies of the neural tube and spinal cord.
Does it protect against pneumonia?
Vaccination helps prevent the development of the disease, which means that complex multicomponent therapy can be avoided.
The effectiveness of the pneumococcal vaccine according to WHO:
Among vaccinated children less than a year old, the incidence of colds is reduced by 82% when they are given a protein-conjugated drug.
Bronchitis is 2 times less common, pneumonia is 3 times less common, otitis media and sinusitis are 4 times less common with the introduction of a polysaccharide preparation.
The risk of developing cold complications is reduced by 20%.
The probability of infection with the hemophilic form is reduced by 30%.
Vaccination effectiveness:
Indicators | Efficiency |
Meningitis, sepsis, pneumonia | In general, among the child population, the incidence is reduced by 78%. As for the serotypes that are part of the vaccine, their incidence is reduced by 97% |
Pneumonia | Children under 2 years of age are 39-54% less likely to be hospitalized with pneumonia |
Acute otitis media | Complicated otitis develops less frequently by 17-28%, and outpatient cases – by 42% |
Pneumococcal inflammation caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics | The incidence in children under 2 years of age is reduced by 81%. |
Противопоказания
Do not vaccinate against pneumococcal infection in the following cases:
Infectious diseases in the acute phase.
Exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Pregnancy.
Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Allergy to the components that make up the vaccine.
Acute diseases of an infectious and non-infectious nature, exacerbation of chronic pathologies are temporary contraindications to the vaccine. The vaccine is given 2-4 weeks after recovery or remission. If a cold or intestinal infection had an uncomplicated course, then immunization can be carried out after the body temperature returns to normal, and the person feels normal.
What pneumonia is vaccinated against?
Vaccination is done only against pneumococcal infection. It is she in 70% of cases leads to the development of pneumonia.
The remaining 30% of pneumonia is provoked by other microflora:
Staphylococci;
Streptococci;
Afanasiev-Pfeiffer stick;
Aspergillus;
Viruses;
Cytomegalovirus;
candida;
Klebsielly et al.
Types of vaccinations and their names
To date, several vaccines have been developed for pneumococcal pneumonia. They have a different composition, they are developed by different companies, then they have one goal – to protect a person from pneumonia.
Prevenar 13 (America). It is a safe drug that meets the strict requirements of the European Union. After its introduction, antibodies to 13 pneumococcal serotypes are activated in the body. 70% of vaccinated individuals develop strong immunity to tonsillitis, pneumonia and bacterial otitis media. Vaccination is carried out at the age of 2 months to 5 years.
Pneumo-23 (France). This vaccine protects against 23 pneumococcal serotypes. It is vaccinated in people aged 2 years and older. Release form – in a syringe with a volume of 0,5 ml.
Synflorix. This is a joint development of Russian and Belgian scientists. The drug belongs to the second generation of vaccines, it does not contain preservatives. The vaccine protects against 10 types of pneumococci. The vaccine contains tetanus and diphtheria toxoids. Also, a person will develop immunity to Haemophilus influenzae.
Pneumovax 23 This vaccine was created specifically to protect adults, but it can be given to children over 2 years of age. The composition includes polysaccharides from 23 types of pneumococcus. The vaccine is administered 1 time, intramuscularly. The required amount of antibodies is formed by the 13th week.
Prevenar. Vaccine pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugated adsorbed.
How does the vaccine work?
The vaccine does not contain live pneumococci, therefore, after its formulation, a person does not get sick. The basis of vaccination is the polysaccharides of the most common serotypes. These high molecular weight carbohydrates cause the immune system to produce antibodies, so that when it encounters an infection, it will be ready to fight it.
Some people believe that getting vaccinated against pneumococcal disease will protect them against pneumonia forever. However, this is not the case, if the immune system is greatly weakened, bacteria will be able to attack the body.
However, the risk of developing pneumonia in vaccinated people is much lower than in unvaccinated people. Even if infection occurs, the disease will be mild and the person will recover faster.
When does she start acting?
The vaccine begins to work within a month after its setting.
Preparation for vaccination
Proper preparation is essential to minimize the risk of developing complications from the vaccine.
Key recommendations:
A person is monitored 2-3 weeks before the upcoming vaccination. At this time, his well-being should not be disturbed.
You should not visit crowded places to minimize the risk of infection.
If the patient has chronic diseases, they should be stopped to a state of remission.
If a person suffers from allergies, 7 days before the upcoming immunization, he needs to take antihistamines. After the vaccine is given, the course lasts another 14-28 days.
On the day of the vaccine, the patient must visit a doctor who will examine him and confirm the absence of any disease.
7 days before immunization, products that can provoke an allergic reaction should be excluded from the menu. This will keep the immune system in good condition.
Vaccination schedule
The vaccine is placed in the deltoid muscle of the shoulder, if an adult is vaccinated, if the child is in the thigh muscle.
Vaccination schedule for children
The immunization schedule for children is more complex. The pneumonia vaccine can be given in conjunction with other vaccines, except for BCG and Mantoux. Depending on the drug chosen, its dosage and the age of the child in which it is administered will differ. A single dose is 0,5 ml.
Immunization schedule for children:
At 2 months – 1 dose.
At 4,5 months – 2 doses.
Revaccination – at 15 months.
Recommendations for administering the vaccine, depending on the age of the child:
Children older than 2 months, but younger than six months are vaccinated in 3 stages. The frequency is 1-1,5 months. Then the vaccine is given at 1,1 years.
Children 7, 11 and 12 months old are vaccinated 2 times with an interval of 1-1,5 months.
Children over 2 years of age are given the vaccine once.