Vaccinations – Age-related –

What diseases do age-related mandatory vaccinations protect against?

The first mass, mandatory vaccination against smallpox was introduced in Hungary in 1876. The first disease-free year on Earth was 1979. Today, babies and children in Hungary receive vaccinations against many serious and even fatal diseases, free of charge. Babies receive their first vaccination, BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin), in the neonatal unit, but no later than 1 month of age, which protects against severe childhood tuberculosis. It was first used in 1921 and contains a live attenuated pathogen. Unfortunately, the protection is not lifelong and does not prevent the spread of adult TB.

DTPa-IPV-HIB

The vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type B is a combination vaccine.

Disease pathogens can cause life-threatening or permanent damage without vaccination.

1. Throat lizard (diphtheria), whose vaccination has been mandatory since 1938, is a bacterium spread by droplet infection. Settling on the mucous membrane, it creates a thick plaque on the tonsils, pharynx, and trachea. The pathogen produces a toxin, which can damage distant organs of the body when it enters the bloodstream.
2. A tetanus the causative agent is bacteria. Without vaccination, the disease leads to the oft-heard tetany spasm and, unfortunately, death. It usually enters the body through an earth-contaminated injury. The disease does not spread from person to person. Protein-based vaccine.
3. Whooping cough (pertussis) it is caused by a bacterium that spreads through droplet infection, and got its name from the convulsive, extremely frightening cough attacks characteristic of the 2nd stage of the infection. Protein-based vaccine.
4. Epidemic polio an acute viral illness that causes temporary or permanent muscle paralysis. There has been no disease in Europe since 2002. Inactivated vaccine.
5. A Haemophilus influenzae B (HIB) bacteria causes purulent meningitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, otitis media, sinusitis.

The vaccine administered three times in infancy (months 2, 3, 4) must be repeated at 18 months, and then at 6 years without the HIB component. VI. in class, the children receive a booster combined vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. (dTap²)

PCV13 – conjugated polysaccharide vaccine

The bacterium causes purulent meningitis, pneumonia and otitis media. The disease can be prevented by vaccination against Pneumococcus given in the 2nd, 4th and 12th months.

MMR

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine contains a live, attenuated pathogen.

1. The measles (morbilli) it is caused by a virus that is primarily spread by droplet infection before the rash appears and is highly contagious. The number of complications is high (30%), which include otitis media, pneumonia, and encephalitis.
2. The mumps, the virus that causes epidemic otitis media is spread by droplet infection. In older men, the virus can cause infertility due to tissue destruction in the testicles.
3. Rubella (pox) virus is a disease that usually occurs in childhood with mild symptoms (fever, swollen lymph nodes, enlargement of the liver and spleen, followed by the appearance of rashes). It can cause arthritis in the elderly. It is a serious problem when a pregnant mother encounters the virus, because it passes through the placenta. Miscarriage, the baby develops a serious developmental disorder: CRS, congenital rubella syndrome. One of the goals of the vaccine containing the live, weakened virus is to eliminate the CRS syndrome.

Babies and VI. receive the vaccine at 15 months of age. repeated at grade school age.

Varicella

A chicken pox vaccination is mainly spread by droplet infection, but the virus found in the blisters accompanying the disease can also infect. In this way, the disease usually “runs through” the entire family, including parents who are not protected. Around the time of birth, if the mother catches the virus, the baby is also defenseless against the virus, and the infection can cause the baby to be lost. Since it has been mandatory since 2019, before it was an optional vaccination, it is necessary to clarify the protection of the future mother before family planning. After childhood chickenpox, the virus remains dormant and inactive in the body. It can cause shingles in older age. Vaccination also protects against this. Small children receive the vaccine between the 13th and 16th months.

Vaccination against hepatitis B virus

The virus, known as the “silent killer”, causes infectious hepatitis. It is spread sexually, through blood and bodily fluids. Infection leading to chronic inflammation, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. THE HPV vaccination as well as a vaccine that also protects against malignant diseases. The 2-shot vaccination in elementary school is called children are given it as a campaign vaccination, and those born after 1985 are required.

Dr. Zsolt Huszár

The article was published in Patika Magazin Rejtvényújság.

July-August 2023