The list of diseases dangerous to the life of the baby is wide. In order to reduce the epidemiological threshold of diseases, the Ministry of Health has compiled and approved a mandatory vaccination schedule for children aged 0 months. and older. This document provides for the implementation of mandatory vaccinations against infectious diseases. All parents who are responsible for the health of their children should immediately comply with the provisions of the document.
In the list of infectious diseases against which the child should be vaccinated in the first days of life, there is hepatitis B. Vaccination of newborns as a protection against this disease in many mothers is perplexing. However, due to the fact that the level of defeat by this ailment in the Russian Federation is too high due to the wide spread of drug addiction, non-compliance by adults with elementary methods of protection against STDs, vaccination is undeniably necessary.
Risks of Infecting Hepatitis B Infant
Vaccination of children in infancy significantly reduces the risk of infection with an infection that affects the liver and ultimately leads to the death of the patient. Insidious hepatitis B can be asymptomatic, slowly destroying the human body. Experts equate the effects of hepatitis B infection with HIV and AIDS. Parents must pay attention to these facts!
Is vaccination for babies justified?
Despite the obligatory nature of childhood vaccinations, not all parents resort to the advice of pediatricians and therapists and strive to meet the maximum health requirements. Many believe that hepatitis B vaccination is not needed for newborns.
Whether parents are mistaken in this or not is a difficult question. But due to reasonable decisions, more than 50% of children are vaccinated on average in the country. The rest is at risk of being infected.
You need to understand that a skepticism about hepatitis B vaccination in newborns will not protect the child from becoming infected with a dangerous infection:
- with possible contact with carriers of infection;
- when visiting dental clinics afterwards;
- when visiting medical institutions and performing injections and other manipulations through medical instruments;
- when visiting social public institutions - kindergartens, catering establishments, schools.
Vaccination allows for several years to form a protective reaction of the body in children - to develop immunity. If infection occurs in vaccinated individuals, then it passes without the risk of the disease becoming chronic. Therefore, it is advisable to consider the vaccine against hepatitis B in newborns quite justified.
The higher the number of vaccinated children, the less likely the infection to spread and defeat healthy people. Indeed, dangerous diseases lead to disability and death in cases of severe course. Parents should not forget about this when deciding whether to vaccinate their children.
What vaccines should be used to protect against hepatitis B?
Several types of vaccines are used today to get hepatitis B vaccines. For one hundred percent result of protecting the child's body from infection, vaccination with one brand of the drug should be carried out at all stages. Replacement is allowed, but only in cases where there is a negative reaction.
Here is a list of vaccines that have been tested for safety include:
- "Regevac" - a drug of domestic production;
- "Biovak" - Indian production;
- Angerix B - deliveries from Belgium.
The above vaccines are yeast recombinant drugs. They do not contain harmful additional additives.
Vaccines require special storage conditions, so in children's clinics it is not always possible to get a free drug. In order to comply with the vaccination schedule, parents can buy their own vaccine at the pharmacy. Regardless of the manufacturer, the cost of the drugs is approximately the same and their effectiveness, too.
At what age is hepatitis B vaccine given?
If hepatitis B vaccination is needed for newborns, when should he be vaccinated? Many mothers ask this question to specialists. Inoculate children according to the schedule of the Ministry of Health should be on the first day of life, to be more precise - within 12 hours after birth. This is the first stage of vaccination.
If certain circumstances exist, vaccination may be delayed until a later age. These are the following criteria:
- premature birth (premature baby);
- congenital malformations;
- low weight baby;
- infected child - an infection transmitted from mother to child during birth;
- an allergy in the woman in labor to yeast, which can be inherited by the baby.
If the baby’s health allows the vaccine to be performed later, this must be done.
Where is the vaccine given?
To dispel all fears and doubts of parents, let's figure out where hepatitis B vaccine is given to newborn babies? The vaccine is given to children in the thigh - an intramuscular injection is the most effective.
Note! If the injection is done in the buttock - the effect of the vaccine is reduced by 30%. It is in such situations that a negative reaction to the vaccine against hepatitis B in newborns is often observed.
Effective vaccination schedule
In order to vaccinate children against hepatitis B, specialists resort to two schemes. The first is appropriate for the healthy environment of the baby - the family has no infected immediate and distant relatives living with the child or in their vicinity, with whom there is frequent contact. Vaccination is carried out in three stages:
- the first injection - within 12 hours after birth;
- the second - when the baby is one month old;
- the third - at the age of six months.
The second scheme concerns children whose parents have hepatitis B, or the child is at increased risk of infection with possible contact with sick relatives. It involves four stages:
- the first injection - within 12 hours after birth;
- the second - when the child is one month old;
- the third - at the age of three months;
- the fourth - in one year.
The duration of vaccination is more than twenty years. However, according to the average statistics, the body's protection lasts eight years. After this period, an infection check is required.
In connection with the above, there are 2 questions that most often arise in young parents:
- How effective is the second hepatitis B vaccine for a newborn if it is made later than the established schedule?
- Is it then advisable to continue the subsequent stages of vaccination?
Experts say that all stages of the process must be completed, despite the violation of the deadlines. The effectiveness of vaccinations is maintained if the time period between injections does not exceed six months.
Possible reactions after vaccine administration
The vaccine administered against hepatitis B to newborns can cause the following local reactions, which indicate the natural process of the “acquaintance” of the child’s body with the new virus:
- redness of the skin around the injection site;
- compaction at the injection site;
- pain at the injection site when moving;
- in rare cases, an increase in body temperature;
- moodiness of the baby;
- indigestion.
All these phenomena are temporary - after a half to two weeks, the baby's health returns to normal.
To whom are hepatitis B vaccines contraindicated?
Due to the fact that the reaction to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns can be mixed, there are a number of contraindications for its implementation. They must be taken into account before vaccination at all its stages. Inspection by a specialist before each injection is simply necessary.
Contraindications are as follows:
- acute respiratory infections;
- flu diseases
- the presence of complex chronic and congenital diseases;
- complications after the first stage of vaccination.
Complications
What are the consequences of a hepatitis B vaccine for newborns? Adverse reactions from vaccine administration are extremely rare, but they do occur. These include:
- a strong allergic reaction of the child's body to the vaccine - anaphylactic shock;
- the appearance of a rash all over the body, similar to hives;
- skin disease - erythema nodosum;
- violation of the digestive system;
- redness of the skin around the injection site is more than 80 mm in diameter;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Complications are possible if, before administering the drug, specialists unscrupulously examined the baby, did not take into account the presence of existing diseases, and did not compare the risks of possible reactions to the vaccine.
Only a family doctor can give an accurate prognosis of the response to vaccination. Unfortunately, not all citizens of the country can use such services today. Therefore, when examining a child in clinics, parents should also take part in deciding on the feasibility of an injection. Do not hide information from a pediatrician or therapist about a baby’s disease and condition for two weeks before vaccination.
Today, a lot of information is spreading about the side effects of hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. In order to reduce the number of children who have to deal with a similar problem, specialists after inspecting infants recommend many to vaccinate babies not immediately after birth, but after a few months. This option is possible and widely practiced.
What to do when a hepatitis B vaccine is given to a newborn and side effects are pronounced? In this situation, only specialists can help stabilize the baby's condition. Therefore, an ambulance call cannot be put off. Often, parents have to deal with a steady increase in body temperature.
Parents' feedback on vaccine effectiveness
Despite the inconsistency of the benefits of vaccination, doctors recommend that hepatitis B vaccines be given to newborns. Reviews of experts are more optimistic in comparison with the opinion of the parents themselves.
Today, the decision to vaccinate is complicated by the dissemination of information about low-quality vaccines, fakes, and the severe course of complications. But in most cases, it is not supported by evidence. The condition of the child does not depend on human gossip. But at the same time, trusting your baby’s health with any doctor is also unsafe. How to be
In order to ensure a healthy future, one should visit specialized clinics, it is advisable to be observed by one pediatrician who has a history of the child's development and state of health.
Many parents share their experiences to get a general overview of the results of hepatitis B vaccination. For some, it is successful and they do not associate children's health problems with vaccines. But for others, vaccination becomes a nightmare. But is that true?
In matters of vaccination should still be guided by the recommendations of medical staff. The procedure is primarily aimed at protecting children from especially dangerous infectious diseases. To do or not to do vaccination, what is the reaction to a hepatitis B vaccine for newborns? - reviews, especially unverified ones, cannot replace the opinion of a specialist in these matters.
To summarize
Vaccination in our country is carried out voluntarily. According to the results of statistical studies, the number of vaccinated people decreases every year, which leads to strong outbreaks of infectious diseases and a high mortality rate. It is also a question of hepatitis B.
Vaccination is not such an expensive procedure compared to the treatment of the disease itself!
- Hepatitis therapy can last more than four months, taking into account the correct prescription of drugs.
- It takes several years to recover.
- The risks of a transition to a chronic form of the disease are above 20%.
The effects of hepatitis include:
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- liver cancer;
- carriage of the virus;
- glomerulonephritis;
- cryoglobulinemia.
When choosing between refusal and vaccination, consider criteria such as:
- hereditary factor;
- congenital pathologies;
- social conditions of residence;
- entourage;
- age category of persons to be vaccinated;
- incidence of respiratory ailments.
If there is an opportunity to protect your child from health problems - do not give up on her. Moreover, vaccination can be done not in the first days after birth. Follow an approximate vaccination schedule and your children will not have hepatitis.
Formed immunity is the key to the health of the young generation! Do not give the infection a single chance to devour humanity!
We hope that the article fully answered the question of why vaccination of infants against hepatitis B is necessary and will be useful for young parents who doubt their rightness regarding vaccinations.