Although the knowledge of Internet users about vaccinations is extensive, the knowledge of contraindications for vaccination leaves much to be desired – according to the Vaccination Awareness Test, conducted by MedTvoiLokony. The questions about choosing the right type of vaccine raised the most doubts.
As many as 10% of Internet users are convinced that children should be vaccinated against pneumococci only when they go to nursery or kindergarten. Meanwhile, it should be done from the second month of life, because the infant’s immune system is still immature and it “catches” various infections very quickly.
Solidarity in the fight against bacteria
When asked if a child attending a kindergarten or living in an estate where most children are vaccinated, must – after all – get the vaccine, the vast majority of Internet users correctly answered yes. Research shows that in countries where children are commonly vaccinated against pneumococci, toddlers are less likely to suffer from pneumococcal disease by an average of 90%. This is important because it is estimated that each year over 10 million children under the age of five worldwide suffer from pneumococcal disease and, unfortunately, a million of them die *. These bacteria can cause pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis and even sepsis. Having a child with pneumococcal meningitis may have permanent consequences, the most common of which are deafness, hydrocephalus and epilepsy, paresis or paralysis of the limbs, speech disorders, and personality disorders. Meanwhile, vaccinations not only prevent diseases but also prevent infection by vectors. However, to ensure the immunity of the entire population, more than 90% of children across the country need to be vaccinated. Poland is still far from achieving this result.
How to choose a vaccine?
The test showed that our knowledge of the types of pneumococcal vaccines is poor. Almost 60% of the respondents did not know which of them: polysaccharide or conjugated, is usually used in toddlers. Children up to the age of two are vaccinated only with the so-called conjugate vaccines, usually protecting against 10 or 13 strains of pneumococcus. Their effectiveness, according to the National Reference Center for the Diagnostics of Bacterial Infections of the Central Nervous System (KOROUN), is higher, and immunity after vaccination lasts longer than in the case of polysaccharide preparations, i.e. vaccines of the older type. There are almost a hundred strains, i.e. serotypes of pneumococcal bacteria. The vaccine contains those responsible for the vast majority of infections in Europe. Pneumococcal vaccines protect your child against all pneumococcal diseases, including the most severe cases of invasive pneumococcal disease. The 13-valent vaccine (PCV13) protects against thirteen serotypes and the 10-valent vaccine against ten.
Mandatory and recommended
Every third Internet user did not know that in Poland there is a constitutional obligation to vaccinate children, and parents who do not comply with it may be fined. On the other hand, over 80% of test participants are aware that recommended vaccinations are as important for a child’s health as compulsory vaccinations. Therefore, the best solution would be to extend the mandatory vaccination calendar to include all vaccinations from the recommended list. It is not true that the recommended vaccinations concern less common diseases. Pneumococci are transmitted by airborne droplets, not only from sick people, but also from healthy carriers, who may be of any age. Most of them have no idea that these bacteria exist in their upper respiratory tract. They are very common. Even 60% of preschoolers and a dozen or so percent of adults can be carriers. In addition, each additional vaccination supports the development of the child’s immune system. Unfortunately, as many as 30% of women and 40% of men are convinced that a referral is needed for recommended vaccinations. Meanwhile, a visit to the doctor who writes a prescription and qualifies the child for vaccination is enough. This qualification is valid for 24 hours.
Universal calendar
The vast majority of Internet users, as many as 90% and 86% of Internet users, know that the vaccination calendar is not prepared by the doctor who takes care of the child, but by a team of experts at the Minister of Health and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate. As compulsory vaccinations are financed from public funds, the construction of the calendar depends on the budget of the Ministry of Health. So far, the Polish calendar has not included vaccinations against pneumococci, although the entire community of Polish paediatricians has tried to do so, especially since they are reimbursed in all European Union countries.
The test showed that we have a false idea of the percentage of people who do not vaccinate their children. Almost 75% of the test participants were convinced that, according to the calendar, about half of Poles vaccinate their children. Only every fourth participant knew that over 95% of our country’s citizens do it. This misconception may be due to the fact that the media often reports on people who avoid vaccination, although there are really few of them.
Not every disease is a contraindication
The knowledge of test participants about contraindications to vaccinations leaves much to be desired. As many as a quarter of Internet users are mistakenly convinced that any child’s disease means that they cannot be vaccinated. The gentlemen fared a bit better. 83% of them knew that the final decision was made by the doctor. The World Health Organization (WHO) determines precisely when vaccinations can be performed. The list of ailments that are not contraindications can be found on the website of the National Institute of Public Health – PZH: immunization.pzh.gov.pl/main.php?p=2&id=128&sz=788. It’s a good idea to review it to find out, for example, that hay fever or an upper respiratory tract infection with a fever of less than 38,5 degrees does not necessarily mean that you need to postpone vaccination.
Unfortunately, almost 30% of test participants are convinced that children with chronic diseases, debilitated diseases or those taking chronic medications should not be vaccinated. Meanwhile, it is precisely for children with reduced immunity that protective vaccinations are particularly important, because they are the most vulnerable to infectious diseases and suffer the most from them. So far, the Ministry of Health has qualified, among others, for free vaccination against pneumococci. premature babies, children with cochlear implants, as well as those suffering from diabetes or asthma.
The best time to get vaccinated
90% of Internet users know that children in the second month of life should be vaccinated against pneumococci. There is a rule: the sooner the better. In this age group, only newer generation vaccines are used, which are specially designed for babies. Vaccinations are also very necessary for those children who do not go to nursery or kindergarten, because they meet their peers on the playground, or during visits to friends, etc. In addition, healthy adults are often carriers of pneumococci.
Almost 100% of the test participants were aware that breastfeeding does not release them from the vaccination obligation.
When asked if it is possible to prepare a child for vaccination somehow, more than 80% of the test participants answered correctly that they should not panic and it is worth smiling. Some boarders mistakenly believed that a child could be given painkillers a few hours before vaccination.
NOP
Almost all test participants (95%) knew that the abbreviation NOP stands for Unwanted Vaccination Reactions. They are very rare. Admittedly, some children may feel drowsy after immunization, have a high temperature or throw up after several hours. However, these symptoms are typical of the immune system’s response to the bacteria and viruses, or fragments thereof, that are given in the vaccine. Antipyretics and painkillers for infants can be given with such symptoms, and in the case of diarrhea or vomiting – plenty of water and electrolytes. In very rare cases, however, there are more serious reactions, indicating an allergic reaction. They appear almost immediately, within 20-30 minutes after vaccination. That is why it is so important not to leave the clinic immediately, but to stay there for half an hour, observing the child and, in the event of disturbing symptoms, immediately alert the doctor. Such symptoms may include reddening of the skin, hives, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, fainting, convulsions. However, vaccine complications are on average 1000 times less frequent than complications from the disease that the vaccine protects against. Even though the majority of Internet users know the abbreviation NOP, 12% do not know how to proceed in the event of its occurrence. Some are convinced that he disqualifies the baby from all vaccinations. Meanwhile, the occurrence of NOP does not mean that the child should no longer undergo any vaccinations. Each case requires a thorough analysis and an individual doctor’s decision.
More than half of internet users do not know that adults with chronic diseases and those over 50 should also be vaccinated against pneumococci. They attack not only children, but also those whose immune system is weakened and the elderly.
* Źródło: World Health Organization. Recommendations for the production and control of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. WHO Technical Report Series. 2005; 927: 64-98