Infectious diseases can be prevented by vaccination. However, the effectiveness of this method depends on social acceptance, believes the spokesman for children’s rights. According to him, it is necessary to undertake explanatory and educational activities directed at the parents of children in order to convince them to vaccinate them.
According to Marek Michalak, the message that infectious diseases can be effectively prevented by immunization is weakened by the dissemination of information that the so-called the natural upbringing of a child increases its immunity to such an extent that it constitutes a sufficient protection against infection. He added that vaccine opponents are also increasing the financial benefits that pharmaceutical companies have from selling them.
In connection with the information about the increase in the incidence of measles, the spokesman asked the Chief Sanitary Inspector whether the available legal measures to ensure the safety of children are sufficient or whether it is necessary to strengthen them. He also considered it necessary to undertake educational activities to make parents aware that only the vaccine protects against the disease. In his opinion, parents should educate doctors and nurses in personal conversations.
I believe that at present, in order to obtain effective disease prevention, it is necessary to undertake specific explanatory and educational activities directed by medical staff to the parents of children. The effectiveness of accepting arguments conveyed by a person recognized as an authority in personal contact is still high, although the widespread use of this method is difficult – wrote Michalak.
He asked whether the number of infectious disease specialists and the number of beds in children’s infectious wards were sufficient to meet health needs in the event of an increase in measles incidence. According to Michalak, there is such a probability. The risk of the disease is fostered by the fact that parents ignore it, who for many years have not encountered its symptoms and consequences in the form of complications, as the number of cases remained low. In addition, parents do not always understand that the high percentage of vaccinated children in a given group offers protection against the disease to individual unvaccinated children, says RPD.
The spokesman emphasized that he respects the parents’ right to decide about the child; however, he recalled that health protection should be a priority.
At the end of February, the National Institute of Hygiene informed that throughout Europe, including Poland, the number of reported cases of measles cases is growing every year. In 2014, there were 110 of them – 25 cases more than the year before and 40 more than in 2012. As the National Institute of Hygiene emphasizes, there are more and more cases of measles because there are more and more parents who refrain from vaccinating their children.
Measles is an acute infectious viral disease. The only source of infection is the sick person. The infection is spread mainly by airborne droplets and direct contact with nasopharyngeal secretions. The measles viruses enter the body through the mouth or nose, and through the conjunctiva. After multiplication in mucous membranes, they enter various organs – skin, kidneys, stomach, intestines, liver. The incubation period of the disease lasts 10-12 days.
According to the National Institute of Hygiene, measles virus circulation in the population can be stopped with a sufficiently high percentage of vaccinated people (at least 95% in each year). It is possible due to the fact that the lack of non-immune people in the environment of the sick person prevents the spread of the virus.
Complications in the course of measles occur in approx. 30 percent. sick people, most of them occur in children up to five years of age and adults over 20 years of age. Complications in the course of measles include, inter alia, diarrhea and severe dehydration, otitis media and pneumonia. Statistically, between 0,7 and 2 people per 1000 patients die.
The National Institute of Hygiene emphasizes that vaccination against measles protects against disease and severe complications, especially neurological ones. The effectiveness of measles vaccines is very high – after receiving two doses of the vaccine at least 95%. children are protected against falling ill.
Vaccination against measles is performed with a combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella. Vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella are compulsory for children aged 13-14 months (10st dose) and XNUMX years of age (XNUMXnd dose). They are financed from the budget of the Ministry of Finance.
Pursuant to the Act on preventing and combating infections and infectious diseases in humans, persons staying on the territory of Poland are obliged to undergo preventive vaccinations. However, this does not mean compulsory vaccination. The act does allow for a medical procedure to be performed without the consent of the patient, but only for a person suffering from a particularly dangerous and highly infectious disease, posing a direct threat to the health or life of other people.
In Poland in 2011, about 3 were not vaccinated. children, in 2012 there were already 5,3 thousand of them. and in 2013 – 7,2 thous. In 2014, parents submitted 12,7 thousand. refuse vaccinations. (PAP)