World Immunization Week 2019: 7 diseases you can prevent with vaccines

Under-five mortality rate in India decreased from 126 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2016. © Shutterstock

Every year, World Immunization Week is celebrated in the last week of April with the aim of making people aware of the importance of vaccines and making them accessible to all. Initiated by WHO, this campaign is organised every year with a certain theme. This year, it is “Protected Together: Vaccines Work!”

IMMUNIZATION AND INDIA

India has made a lot of progress in the field of immunization over the years, but a huge gap still remains to be bridged. A special report named ‘Reducing infectious diseases in children: Tracking India’s progress and outlining the challenges’, states, “Recently, India took steps to increase access to interventions such as immunisation through schemes like Mission Indradhanush and the introduction of new vaccines, including the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and rotavirus vaccine (RVV). Despite progress, however, infectious diseases continue to contribute to a significant proportion of child mortality and morbidity in India. Some of the new challenges to achieving full immunisation coverage are increasing costs, and misinformation on social media.”

According to the estimates of the report, under-five mortality rate in India decreased from 126 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2016. It further states, “However, in 2015-16, the average national full immunisation coverage was a low 62 percent with only a few states achieving and sustaining coverage of more than 90 percent,” it further states. “Previously, the percentage increase in full immunisation coverage was one per cent per year. This went up to 6.7 percent per year over the first two phases of Mission Indradhanush. Four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been conducted till August 2017, providing vaccination to more than 2.53 crore children and 68 lakh pregnant women,” mentions the report.

According to this report, “As of September 2018, 1.5 crore doses of the rotavirus vaccine (RVV), eight crore doses of measles rubella (MR) vaccine, and 15 lakh doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) have been administered to children across the country.”

To give a stronger push to India’s immunization drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched another programme called the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) in October 2017. “Through IMI, the government aims to reach every child up to two years of age and all pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme/UIP (Universal Immunization Programme). The programme provides protection against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases. The special drive will focus on improving immunisation coverage in select districts and cities to ensure full immunisation coverage of more than 90 percent by 2020, a goal that was then advanced to 2018,” reveals the special report.

HOW DOES A VACCINE WORK?

A vaccine is basically an injection made of a weakened or killed microbe (virus and bacteria) administered in order to stimulate your immune system against that. Your body’s defence system remembers the microbes injected during the vaccination and makes antibodies to kill them when they invade your body later on. During the attack, your our immune cells recognize the bacteria or vaccines and start secreting the already made antibodies to disable and destroy them completely. This is how an immunization helps you ward off diseases.

VACCINE-PREVENTABLE CONDITIONS

At the beginning of the World Immunization Week 2019, we tell you about some potentially dangerous diseases caused by viruses and bacteria which can be kept at bay with vaccines. Make sure your child is immunized on time and he doesn’t miss the booster shots.

Measles, rubella, and mumps

The communication period of this disease is 8 days that includes 4 days before the rashes appear and 4 days after they are present. © Shutterstock

Measles is a highly communicable disease caused by a virus. You can get it from an infected person. Measles is characterized by fever, a runny nose, dry cough, sore throat, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes. This disease occurs in various stages. When you get infected with the virus causing measles, the microbe incubates for around 10 to 14 days. After that, you start experiencing mild symptoms like moderate fever, persistent cough, etc, that last for 2 to 3 days. Then, you start developing rashes on your face, that further spread to your entire body. During this phase, the fever rises sharply. The communication period of this disease is 8 days that includes 4 days before the rashes appear and 4 days after they are present. Recently, there has been a measles outbreak in Los Angeles due to inadequate vaccination.

Often confused with measles, rubella is a contagious infection caused by a virus different from the one that causes measles. It is characterised by mild fever, headache, red eyes, rashes, enlarged and tender lymph nodes on the skull, neck, and behind the ears.

Mumps is also a viral infection that affects your salivary glands. The virus spread from person to person through saliva. Generally, its symptoms appear after 2 or 3 weeks of getting the infection. The symptoms of this disease include swollen salivary gland, pain while chewing, muscle aches, fatigue, and loss appetite.
Vaccine Power: MMR is the vaccine available to protect you against these diseases. This vaccine is given in 2 doses. The first shot is given when a child is in the age group of 12 and 15 months. Another shot is given when she is 4 to 6 years old. MMR vaccination is considered totally safe and 97 per cent effective. This vaccine is recommended for adults who haven’t already been immunised and haven’t suffered from measles, mumps or rubella yet. MMR vaccine should be avoided in case your child has life-threatening allergies from vaccinations, you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, recently gone through blood transfusion process, or have received another vaccine in the last 4 weeks. Also, consider postponing the vaccination if your child isn’t feeling well.

Polio

Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) are used in India to keep the polio virus at bay. © Shutterstock

It is a contagious viral disease causing nerve injury that leads to paralysis. The virus causing this disease spreads through direct contact with someone infected with this condition. In rare cases, it also communicates through contaminated food and water. Polio is characterised by symptoms like fever, vomiting, neck and back pain and stiffness, muscle weakness, fatigue, headache, and sore throat. Within a week of getting the infection, you will experience loss of reflexes, severe muscle aches and weakness, loose limbs. In 2014, India was declared polio-free by the WHO.
Vaccine Power: Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) are used in India to keep the polio virus at bay. These are given in four doses. The first dose/shot is given at the age of 2 months and the second one is provided when the child is 4 months old. However, the third dose is given to a child when she is between 6 and 18 months of age. The last dose is scheduled for your little one when she is in the age bracket of 4 to 6 years. falls in the age group of 4 to 6 years. It is advised not to get your child vaccinated with either IPV or OPV if she has severe allergic reaction or is unwell.

Pneumococcal disease

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is available in India to prevent this disease. © Shutterstock

It is an inflammation of the lungs caused by bacteria. It can also infect the blood and brain of a child below 5 years of age causing serious ailments like meningitis and ear infections. During a pneumococcal infection, your child’s air sacs (lung components) fill up with pus giving symptoms like fever, difficulty in breathing, chest pain, fatigue, cough, nausea, vomiting, and chills. A weak immune system and diseases like increase your little one’s chance of developing pneumococcal disease. Toddlers are most vulnerable to this condition.
Vaccine Power: Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is available in India to prevent this disease. It is given in four doses to children. The first dose is given at the age of 2 months and the other shots are given at the ages of 4, 6, and 12-15 months respectively. If your child is sick or has had a severe allergy after a previous dose of pneumococcal vaccine, consult your doctor.

Hepatitis B

Around 350 million people worldwide live with this chronic disease, says CDC estimates. It is a type of liver infection that is caused by hepatitis B virus. This virus gets spread through contact with body fluids (vaginal secretion, breast milk, blood, semen) of infected people. Hepatitis B is a potentially fatal disease that can lead to serious complications like liver failure, cancer, cirrhosis (scarring of liver), kidney disease, or inflammation of blood vessels.
Vaccine Power: Hepatitis B vaccine will guard you against this disease. It is given in three doses to your child at the ages of 2, 4, and 6 months. This is a safe vaccine that can be taken till the age of 18. Like other above-mentioned vaccinations, hepatitis B vaccine should also be avoided if your child is sick or have severe allergy to vaccinations.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection

T prevent HPV infection and the risk of developing cervical cancer after the infection, you can take HPV vaccine. © Shutterstock

It is the most common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to genital warts and cancer (in rare cases). It can spread through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. If you are suffering from this condition, you will experience different types of warts including genital (flat lesions), common warts (rough bumps), or plantar warts (hard and grainy growth). Having sex with multiple partners, a weakened immune system, and damaged skin can increase your risk of developing HPV infection.
Vaccine Power: In order to prevent HPV infection and the risk of developing cervical cancer after the infection, you can take HPV vaccine. Ideally, a child should get HPV vaccine when she is 11 or 12 years old. It is given in two shots and both the shots should be given in a 6 to 12-month gap. However, if the gap is less than 5 months, another shot will be required. Women can take it till the age of 26 years and men can get this vaccine till 21. You can get it even if you are infected with the HPV infection and fall in the above-mentioned age group.

Published: April 24, 2019 1:04 pm

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