– airborne viral infection, children under 5 years of age are most susceptible to this disease. Older children and adults rarely get measles, but they suffer from it more severely than children.
What is the danger of measles
The infection poses a fatal threat to children due to complications from the nervous and respiratory systems:, slowly progressing pathology nervous system and even disability. The frequency of such severe complications is 1 case per 1000 cases.
80% of sick children develop complications in the form of tracheitis, or, which can subsequently become chronic.
In older children frequent complications are neuritis of the optic or auditory nerves,.
The mortality rate from this infection, even with timely and complete treatment, reaches 5-10% in different years. The disease poses the greatest danger to children in the first 5 years of life.
What does vaccination give?
From birth to 6-9 months, a child is to some extent protected from measles by maternal antibodies (if the mother has previously had measles or has been vaccinated against it). But even infants can get sick if the titer of maternal antibodies is low or the virus is highly aggressive.
Importance of measles vaccination:
- Protects against infections that are dangerous for children and the complications it leads to;
- prevents the occurrence of epidemics;
- limits the circulation of the pathogen in the population;
- the vaccine attenuated virus reduces the load on the immune system (compared to fighting the wild virus) during formation.
Vaccines used
The following vaccines can be used for vaccinations:
- monovalent - live dry measles vaccine (Russia) and "Ruvax" - (France);
- polyvalent vaccines (with several components): measles and (Russia); against measles, rubella, mumps (Priorix Belgium, Ervevax UK, MMR II USA);
Measles vaccine The effectiveness of all vaccines is the same, any of them can be used, they are all safe. Moreover, they are interchangeable: if one drug was used at first, then another can be introduced: there will be no negative consequences and this will not affect the effectiveness.
If a child has previously had one of the infections, then you can choose a drug without this component, or you can vaccinate with a vaccine containing a component of the previous disease: this will not cause harm, the component will be destroyed by specific antibodies. This will not affect the formation of immunity against other infections.
The live viruses in the vaccine are weakened and are not dangerous for the child or unvaccinated children around him.
Vaccination calendar
According to the calendar, measles immunization is carried out for children of the following age categories:
- at 1 year;
- at 6 years of age;
- from 15 to 17 years of age.
The first injection of the vaccine can be carried out at 9 months. in the event that the mother has never been vaccinated against measles and has not had it (that is, the baby has not received protective antibodies from the mother). Subsequent injections of the vaccine are carried out from 15 to 18 months, at 6 years and from 15 to 17 years.
If a child under 6 years of age has not received measles vaccinations for any reason, then the vaccine is administered at the first opportunity, and the second dose is administered at 6 years of age (but not earlier than six months from the first vaccination); The third vaccination is given at 15-17 years of age.
If a child over 6 years of age has not been vaccinated against measles, then, if possible, the vaccine is administered twice with an interval of 6 months, and according to the calendar - at 15-17 years of age.
The measles vaccine is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The optimal sites for insertion are the outer surface of the shoulder, subscapularis, or thigh.
The effectiveness of immunization when vaccinated at 9 months. – 85-90%, at one year of age – reaches 96%. Immunity is formed from the 2nd week after vaccination. The second dose of the drug is administered with the goal of providing 100% coverage of children with reliable protection against measles before starting school. The third dose is administered to maintain immunity for a longer period.
Reaction to vaccination
The reactogenicity of the measles vaccine is very low, and there are practically no complications after vaccination. Live, but significantly weakened viruses in the composition of the drug cannot cause full-fledged measles disease. During the day after the injection, there may be a slight increase in temperature, a slight thickening and mild pain at the injection site.
Depending on the individual reaction of the body, the temperature rise can reach high numbers. Fever lasts up to 4 days. Since it does not affect the formation of immunity, the child can be given antipyretics (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol) to avoid the development of febrile seizures.
Sometimes (5%-15%) a post-vaccination reaction may manifest as skin rashes.
Delayed reactions to the vaccine may occur 5-15 days after injection. In this case, the symptoms resemble measles, and many parents consider the reaction to be vaccine-related measles. However, the phenomena soon disappear on their own. More often, a delayed reaction occurs after the first dose of the vaccine.
If measles-like symptoms appeared at a later period (more than 2 weeks after vaccination), then they should be regarded as a measles disease against the background of immature immunity.
Summary for parents
Parents who consider measles to be a minor childhood disease that is best dealt with during childhood should reconsider their opinion. The argument for this is the frequency of severe complications of measles, especially in young children.
Reliable protection against the disease is vaccination, which can be combined with vaccinations against other infections using polyvalent vaccines.
Parents who are afraid of complications after vaccination should know the statistics: encephalitis after vaccination develops with a frequency of 1 case per 100,000 vaccinated people and 1 case per 1000 cases of measles. That is, the risk of a serious complication after vaccination is 100 times less likely than in the case of a child who fully develops measles.
Which doctor should I contact?
Before vaccination, the child must be examined by a pediatrician. He also develops an individual vaccination schedule. If necessary, parents can consult an infectious disease specialist, allergist, or immunologist.
Thanks to the Russian vaccination program, children are less likely to get measles. In schoolchildren, cases of the disease have decreased over the past 7 years, and this disease is increasingly being registered in adults; not everyone is vaccinated in a timely manner. The required measles vaccination for adults is given in clinics, at work when one patient is identified, and in private medical institutions.
Vaccination provides protection for 20 years; over the years, the resulting immunity decreases. Measles in adults occurs with severe symptoms, often causes complications, and the recovery process takes longer than in children. There is an increased incidence of measles in St. Petersburg. We recommend revaccination.
The need for measles vaccination in adults
Routine vaccination regulates the period of vaccination against measles up to 35 years. If you have not reached this age, the injection is given free of charge. Older people pay for the vaccine themselves.
If contact with a person with measles is identified, vaccination is carried out at public expense. Vaccination for adults is carried out in 2 stages, with an interval of 3 months between injections (re-vaccination).
Temporary contraindications for measles vaccination
- the presence of non-infectious pathological processes in the body;
- pregnancy;
- exacerbation of a chronic disease (postpone vaccination until recovery);
- heat bodies;
- hyperemia
Permanent contraindications:
- severe allergy to chicken or quail protein (depending on the vaccine);
- allergy to aminoglycoside (gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin);
- immunodeficiency;
- oncological diseases, neoplasms
The causative agent, measles virus, is the most dangerous, persists for a long time at low temperatures, and is well tolerated over distances.
If an adult is not vaccinated, the risk of contracting measles reaches 100%.
The resulting vaccine is combined with the vaccine against chickenpox, mumps, and rubella.
Dangerous consequences of measles for adults
The virus, entering the body, affects the mucous membrane of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, acutely causing inflammatory process in tissues.
The measles virus further penetrates into The lymph nodes, is carried throughout the body by blood. Incubation period lasts 10 days. Measles in the first days is usually confused with a cold.
Measles symptoms:
- headache,
- swelling of the face,
- prostration,
- cough, severe runny nose,
- swelling of the eyelids, lacrimation,
- on the third day the high temperature rises and practically does not subside,
- after another 3 days, whitish rashes appear on the cheeks (their mucous membrane),
- After about a couple of days, the whole body becomes covered in a rash.
For an adult, measles poses a significant danger. In severe cases, it causes complications.
Consequences of measles in an adult:
- blurred vision,
- hearing loss,
- damage to the liver, kidneys,
- decreased immunity causes bronchitis and pneumonia.
Bottom line: in addition to a couple of weeks of bed rest at home, months of treatment for complications may be added.
Vaccination against measles allows you to avoid dangerous pathologies at any age.
Adult vaccination calendar
35 years is a conditional limit specified in the Calendar, providing for free state funding of measles vaccination for adults under 35 years of age. Which does not mean that if you are over 35 years of age, vaccination is not needed. If an older person wants to be vaccinated against measles, he does so at his own expense.
Epidemic indications for free vaccination without age limit:
from the outbreaks of the disease, contact persons who have not been sick, have not been vaccinated, do not have the latest information about vaccination against measles, or know that they have been vaccinated once.
What vaccines are used against measles?
Russian and foreign vaccines are used in the Russian Federation:
- monovalent against measles,
- 2-component measles-mumps vaccine,
- 3-component - against measles-mumps-rubella
The mono vaccine against measles is live attenuated.
The instructions for vaccines state that other vaccinations can be administered after 1 month. International recommendations state that the interval between administration of 2 live vaccines should be at least 4 weeks.
Where is the measles vaccine administered?
The vaccine is administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
Injection sites:
- shoulder at the border of the upper and middle third (from its outer part);
- thigh, if there is a lot of fatty tissue on the shoulder, there is not enough muscle;
- under the shoulder blade
Features: the vaccine should not be allowed to penetrate shallowly under the skin itself (a compaction will appear, the vaccine will enter the blood slowly and the manipulation will become ineffective). Injection into the buttock is excluded.
Side effects from vaccinations that occur in adults
Adverse reactions occur more often with the first dose of the drug; subsequent doses cause them much less often.
What reactions to the measles vaccine occur:
- induration, swelling at the site of measles vaccine administration,
- the temperature may rise slightly (goes away on its own on the 4th day),
- 5 days after the injection, some delayed reactions appear, which are normal due to the vaccination (rash in certain places, cough, rhinitis)
If the temperature reaches fever, it must be brought down, as it interferes with the formation of immunity after vaccination.
Complications of this vaccination include:
- convulsions,
- hives,
- encephalitis,
- pneumonia,
- myocarditis,
- anaphylactic shock,
- glomerulonephritis
In most cases, the vaccine is easily tolerated by adults.
Vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella
Content
The infectious disease measles has a viral pathogen, differs high degree contagiousness and is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, upper respiratory tract, high fever and a characteristic maculopapular rash. Children and adults are susceptible to infection; in the latter, the consequences may be more severe.
Measles vaccination schedule
The legislation has developed a measles vaccination schedule for adults. It provides vaccination to adults under 35 years of age if they have not previously been vaccinated or do not know if they have been given an injection.
When using a domestic vaccine, vaccination is free of charge, while an imported vaccine is paid for. People over 35 also need to be vaccinated, but they pay for the vaccine themselves.
Why do adults need the measles vaccine?
Measles revaccination in adults can be carried out routinely or urgently. Indications for it:
- emergency prevention when traveling abroad;
- contact with infected people, provided that the person has not had measles or has not been vaccinated;
- routine vaccination against measles, rubella and mumps.
Vaccination is carried out in two stages with an interval of 3 months. After a properly carried out procedure, immunity to infection is developed for a period of 12 years.
Why is measles dangerous for adults?
The disease is more severe than in children and significantly undermines the immune system. Possible consequences become:
- redness of the skin at the injection site;
- joint pain;
- temperature increase;
- runny nose, cough;
- allergies, urticaria, anaphylactic shock;
- pneumonitis, myocarditis, encephalitis, meningitis.
Types of measles vaccines
When immunizing, you can choose a vaccine. There are several types:
- Live measles vaccine, cultured, Russian, registered in 2000. The virus for it is grown in cell culture of Japanese quail eggs, so it can cause allergies. The disadvantages include possible complications.
- Priorix is a Belgian complex vaccine that provides immunity against measles, mumps and rubella. The advantages include good tolerability, and the disadvantages include the possibility of developing allergies.
- MMR II is a live vaccine from Holland that comprehensively protects against measles, rubella and mumps. The advantages of its use include protection from three diseases at once, and the disadvantages are the high cost.
All imported vaccines are interchangeable, so you can vaccinate with one and revaccinate with another.
They can also be used separately for each infection. The Russian measles vaccine protects adults against only one disease, but it is provided free of charge, while the rest are paid.
When is measles vaccination contraindicated for adults?
Vaccination is postponed for at least one month if the patient has an exacerbation of respiratory infections and exacerbation chronic diseases. List of contraindications for measles vaccination:
- pregnancy;
- breast-feeding;
- allergy to quail and chicken eggs;
- allergy to antibiotics;
- allergic reaction for previous vaccinations;
- therapy with drugs that weaken the immune system;
- some oncological diseases.
Rules for preparing for vaccination
It is necessary to clarify the timing of vaccination in advance and, in the period before it, avoid contact with sources of infection. Before the procedure, you should try to avoid stressful situations (including not getting too cold, not changing time and climate zones, and avoiding excessive exposure to the sun), since stress can change the reactivity of the immune system.
For injection you need to use a sterile syringe. It is necessary to make sure that it does not contain antiseptics, preservatives and detergents, which can kill the weakened virus and deactivate the vaccine. The solvent must be absolutely sterile. Before the procedure, you need to carefully inspect the bottle with the drug for the absence of foreign mechanical particles. The color should be transparent and yellowish.
Vaccination technique
The vaccine is administered in upper third shoulder There are two main methods for vaccination: intramuscular and subcutaneous. Intravenous administration is strictly prohibited. It is highly undesirable to choose the buttock as the injection site or to inject it into a thick layer of skin. In the latter case, there is a high probability of compaction formation. The standard dose of the drug is 0.5 ml.
Possible complications after measles vaccination in adults
The consequences of measles vaccination can be mild, dangerous or severe. Among the complications are:
Price
The Russian vaccine can be delivered to clinics free of charge under the compulsory medical insurance (compulsory health insurance) policy. You will have to pay for imported vaccines. Approximate prices in Moscow:
Video
Since the measles vaccine was invented back in 1963, this disease has gradually moved from the category of deadly and “universally” common to the category of well-controlled and relatively rare. Therefore, as a rule, all you need to know modern parent about measles in children, comes down only to information about correct and timely vaccination.
Since the early 1990s, there are no countries left on earth in which measles vaccination is not included in the mandatory childhood vaccination schedule. This sharply reduced cases of measles, but did not eradicate them completely.
Measles vaccination: children vaccinated means protected
The measles virus, like smallpox, can only exist in the human body and can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one. Just as at one time smallpox, thanks to total vaccination, disappeared from the face of the earth, measles could disappear in our days. However, this requires that everyone and everything be vaccinated against measles for about ten years.
But, alas, the picture today is far from ideal: due to the fact that in underdeveloped countries, for economic reasons, there is sometimes not enough funding to vaccinate children, and in civilized countries some parents themselves deliberately refuse to vaccinate their children, cases of measles occur constantly , everywhere and annually claiming about 200,000 children's lives.
For parents, this statistics is especially useful because it clearly illustrates the level of risk when refusing vaccination against measles: this disease is not a “banal” infection that is easily treated and well tolerated, but a rather serious and dangerous disease from which a child can die.
Actually, it is precisely with the massive parental refusal of vaccinations these days that the fact is connected that many childhood diseases, considered long ago “defeated” and practically forgotten, have begun to return to our reality. Among them is measles.
Before the introduction of measles vaccinations, this disease affected absolutely everyone - in fact, there was not a single person who did not have measles in childhood. Sadly, measles was a childhood disease with one of the highest mortality rates.
Nowadays, the most effective and efficient measure against measles is... vaccination!
In America, among farmers whose families traditionally had many children, at one time there was even a popular saying: “Don’t tell anyone how many children you have until they all have measles.”
Measles, rubella, mumps: vaccination “seven troubles - one answer”
How to vaccinate against measles in children
As a rule, a child is vaccinated at the age of 1 year with the combined MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella), and after 6 years a revaccination is carried out. This is enough to reliably protect a child from measles, or at least from a severe course of the disease and from all potentially possible complications. The minimum interval between vaccinations cannot be less than 4 years. The vaccine is a subcutaneous injection - usually in the shoulder area or under the shoulder blade.
Is it possible to get sick after vaccination?
Firstly, it should be mentioned that in approximately 10% of cases after measles vaccination, children suffer from so-called vaccine measles. After all, vaccination is carried out using a live (albeit weakened!) virus - accordingly, the manifestation of a mild form of the disease is acceptable. The main symptoms of vaccine measles are a small rash on the skin and a high fever. The peculiarity of vaccine measles is that although formally it is considered an infection, it is not contagious and is completely safe for others.
Secondly, in very rare cases, a child can actually get measles even if he was vaccinated at one time. But the percentage of these cases is negligible and does not exceed the number of cases when children fell ill with measles twice.
In other words, the risk of getting measles without vaccination is 100%, and the risk of getting measles with vaccination, as well as the risk of getting sick again after the illness, is the same and extremely small (less than 0.5%). At the same time, both vaccinated children and those children who manage to get measles again never experience a severe form of the disease (not to mention fatal)
Which vaccine is better?
As a rule, all measles vaccines (both domestic and foreign produced) contain live attenuated measles viruses, and there is no fundamental difference between them.
Allergy to measles vaccine
Like many flu vaccines, the measles vaccine is made from chicken (or quail) egg protein. In this regard, there is a widespread belief among parents that flu and measles vaccines often cause severe allergic reactions.
In fact, after a measles vaccination (given its egg base), the baby may actually experience an allergic reaction. But only if the following conditions were previously observed upon contact with egg white:
- Anaphylactic shock (pressure drops sharply and the child loses consciousness);
- Quincke's edema (sharp and severe swelling of the tissues of the face and neck);
- Generalized urticaria (severe itching and rash that covers most of the skin).
In these cases, standard measles vaccines are not suitable for the child. Every mother can independently check whether the classic measles vaccination is dangerous for a baby or not. To do this you need:
- 1 Break a raw egg and soak your finger in the egg white.
- 2 Run this finger along the inner surface of the child's lower lip.
- 3 If a child potentially has allergic conditions caused by consuming egg whites (including as part of the measles vaccine), then literally within the next five minutes the lower lip will swell slightly (don’t be alarmed - no other negative consequences will occur, and this swelling will will go away on its own in the near future).
If during the “egg test” you notice swelling on the child’s lip, you cannot vaccinate this baby against measles with standard vaccines (based on egg whites). And in this case, the doctor will select a replacement.
Possible complications after measles vaccination
As you know, there are no vaccinations or vaccines that are guaranteed not to cause complications. Any vaccination can (one - in a larger number of cases, the other - in a minimal number) give certain complications. But the right approach These potential complications are not at all a refusal to vaccinate, but a cold calculation and an honest comparison: what complications can arise from vaccination and what complications can arise from the disease itself.
Children almost never die from measles itself - it is a fairly mild infection when considered in isolation. However, measles provokes the occurrence of some very serious complications, which not only in past times, but also in our days sometimes lead to the death of a child.
The most common complications of measles include:
- Pneumonia (pneumonia) - occurs in a ratio of 1:20;
- The so-called measles encephalitis (irreversible brain damage, encephalomyelitis) - occurs in a ratio of 1:500;
- Pathological decrease in platelet levels (thrombocytopenia) - occurs in a ratio of 1:300;
- Severe ear infections - occur in a ratio of 1:10;
The mortality rate of measles in unvaccinated children today is 1:700
To be fair, let us present statistics on complications from measles vaccination. As a rule, there can be only two such complications:
- Thrombocytopenia - as a complication of measles vaccination, it occurs on average in one case out of 40,000;
- Encephalopathy - after measles vaccination occurs no more often than in one case per 100,000.
Thus, a clear comparative arithmetic is obtained: the measles vaccination gives complications on average in one case out of 40,000. Measles causes one or another complication (which sometimes cripples and even kills the child) in one case out of four.
Symptoms of measles in a child and methods of its treatment
If a child is not vaccinated against measles, then with a 100% probability he will become infected with it sooner or later. Because measles is one of the so-called volatile infections (there are only three of them: measles, rubella and chickenpox). This means that in order to “catch” measles, it is not at all necessary to kiss a sick relative or friend - it is enough to simply live in the same building as someone who is currently sick with measles. Go to the same school or kindergarten, use the same tram or the same bakery, etc. In other words, a child can become infected with measles anywhere without being vaccinated against it. What should parents who are anti-vaxxers expect? By what symptoms can they recognize measles in their children?
The measles virus enters the body healthy person directly from the patient and attaches either to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract or to the conjunctiva, and after a few days begins to actively multiply in the lymph nodes. The most common symptoms of measles:
- Temperature increase;
- Enlarged lymph nodes;
- Conjunctivitis;
- Runny nose and cough;
- Enanthema - tiny reddish spots in the form of cereals, which are localized on the mucous membrane of the cheeks and gums (as a rule, these spots appear not 2-3 days before the appearance of a rash on the skin);
- Excessive skin rashes.
Severe hives that cover most of the child's body are one of the most painful symptoms of measles in children.
Measles itself (like, for example, and) cannot be treated in any way - you need to get over it, allowing the immune system to develop a natural defense. Therefore, treatment of measles is only symptomatic. For example:
- If the temperature has increased, an antipyretic should be given;
- Signs of dehydration appear - it is necessary to give the child plenty of water;
- If photophobia occurs (it is characteristic of measles when the conjunctiva is infected) - the baby should be placed in a darkened room;
- Etc.
In addition, when children have measles, they are usually prescribed a course of vitamin A (which, as we have already mentioned, prevents, to some extent, the development of severe forms of the disease and complications). However, you cannot prescribe vitamin A on your own - the dosage must be calculated by the doctor based on the physiological characteristics of the child. And moreover, the process of treatment for measles, due to the huge risk of developing severe complications, must necessarily take place under the supervision of medical workers.
As you know, no better treatment diseases rather than prevention. In the case of measles in children, there is only one best and truly effective prevention - timely measles vaccination. Moreover, there are ten times more arguments in its favor than against its use. And yet, whether to vaccinate a child with measles or to consciously refuse it is still a matter of choice for the parents themselves.
Many experts consider prevention to be the most the best way treatment of any disease. Sometimes it is precisely this wall that protects children from many infections. Vaccination against measles is the only way to guarantee a person’s protection against this dangerous disease. Thanks to immunization, the morbidity rate in children and adults was reduced to 85%.
Measles, all about the disease
Measles has become quite rare disease in children over one year of age due to regular immunization. This infection is dangerous for humans. Let us note the most important features of this disease:
- When infected, the child's temperature rises significantly. It can reach more than 40 0 C.
- The disease is accompanied by symptoms similar to a cold (runny nose, dry cough, sneezing, sore throat). Specific manifestations are also observed in children, which include: hoarseness, photophobia, swelling of the eyelids, rashes on the body.
- Infection of nearby people can occur up to 4 days of illness.
- The development of the disease causes a sharp decrease in immunity in children. A number of bacterial complications can occur during infection.
- After the mother suffers the disease, the child’s body will acquire immunity to the virus within 3 months, no more.
- Measles is difficult for young children (under 5 years of age). One of the dangerous complications is death.
- In 2011, the disease killed more than 100,000 children worldwide who were not vaccinated against measles.
The spread of the virus occurs through airborne droplets. A person with measles is contagious even during the incubation period. The causative agent of the infection in question is unstable in the external environment; it dies after exposure to physical and mechanical factors.
The importance of measles vaccination, vaccination schedule
Experts consider vaccination to be the only effective method of preventing infectious diseases. It does not need to be done if a person has contraindications. The first measles vaccine should be given between 12 and 15 months of age. IN early age Vaccination is necessary because adults are more susceptible to vaccination than children.
The measles vaccine is sometimes combined with many other vaccines. Vaccinations against measles, mumps, and rubella are often given at the same time.
According to the plan, 2 measles vaccinations should be given. We indicated the timing of the first vaccination above, and the second should be performed at the age of 6 years (provided there are no contraindications). Usually the time for revaccination falls during the period of . Experts recommend conducting a test before measles vaccination, or after some time has passed (after 1.5 months). At the same time, these vaccinations are given only if there are emergency indications in a child over one year old.
The routine vaccine is administered to children twice (12–15 months, 6 years). In rare cases, you need to deviate from this vaccination schedule:
- If one of the family members is infected, everyone under the age of 40 must be vaccinated. The exception is children under one year old.
- When a child is born from a mother in whose blood no antibodies to the virus are detected, the baby is vaccinated in the first 8 months of life. Then the child is vaccinated according to plan (14 – 15 months, 6 years).
Parents, and even children themselves, are interested in the question: where do they get vaccinated against measles? 0.5 ml. The drug is administered to a child or an adult in the following areas:
- under the shoulder blade;
- outer shoulder area.
Preparing for the injection
No special preparation is required for vaccination:
- Measles vaccination can only be given to healthy children (adults). There should be no signs of ARVI.
- Before administering the drug, it is recommended to undergo a full examination by a doctor and take tests.
There are also rules for behavior after vaccination. They are as follows:
- While taking a shower, you should not rub the area where the drug was injected.
- Avoid visiting crowded places for three days.
- You should not introduce new products to your child’s menu.
Measles vaccine for adults
If an adult decides to get vaccinated, he is recommended to undergo tests to detect antibodies to the infection. A person can have a latent form of measles without even knowing it. In this case, experts say that vaccination is not necessary.
Once the height of the epidemic has been confirmed, vaccinations cannot be done. If a person does not have a first vaccination, he should be vaccinated before traveling to a dangerous region (no later than 2 weeks before departure). The most cases of infection with the virus have been recorded in France, Germany, Great Britain, Romania, Italy, Denmark, Uzbekistan, and Spain.
The measles vaccine is given only for a certain period. Repeated administration of the drug is necessary after 3–5 years. The time for repeated vaccination in adults depends on the characteristics of the body and the vaccination schedule in the country.
Adults are vaccinated against measles up to 35 years of age, twice with a 3-month break between vaccinations. Revaccination is not needed. The body will remain immune to infection for more than 12 years. For adults, the drug is injected into the shoulder (upper third).
Given infection dangerous due to complications. Among the most severe complications we list:
- encephalitis;
- pneumonia;
- otitis;
- meningoencephalitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- sinusitis;
- hepatitis;
- meningitis;
- Eustachitis.
What vaccines are used?
The measles vaccine contains live or weakened viruses. In this state, they are unable to cause illness in the child, but only help to develop the body’s immunity to infection. Features of the measles vaccine:
- Thermal lability. The vaccine loses its properties when exposed to conditions with an uncomfortable temperature. Its storage should be carried out at temperatures up to 4 0 C, not higher. High/low temperatures provoke rapid destruction of the drug.
- If any unused vaccine remains, it should be destroyed.
- The drug should be administered with caution to people allergic to the antibiotic or egg white.
For preventive purposes, single vaccines and combination vaccines can be used (they also protect against rubella and mumps). Vaccines used:
- "Ruwax." Made in France.
- LCV (monovaccine).
- Mumps-measles vaccine (Russia).
- Priorix (UK).
- MMR (combined measles, rubella, mumps). Made in USA.
How to choose a measles vaccine? The issue is quite complex; to solve it, consultation with a specialist is necessary. The doctor will be able to choose the best option by assessing the tolerability of a particular drug.
Even after vaccination, a child can get measles. The disease can develop when a child’s immunity has sharply decreased after a single vaccination. But if a child over one year of age becomes infected, the infection will be much easier to bear. Vaccination in this case helps to stop the development of the disease, prevent its severe course, and reduce the risk of complications.
Reaction to vaccination
Immunoprophylaxis is carried out using a weak live vaccine. It is very important to know whether and what consequences can occur after measles vaccination. The measles vaccine can provoke 2 types of reactions:
- general (redness of the pharynx, mild cough, flushing, runny nose, conjunctivitis);
- local (redness in the area of vaccine administration, swelling). These manifestations disappear after a few days.
In some cases, the temperature may rise (after 6 days). The child may experience nosebleeds, decreased appetite, a measles-like rash, and malaise.
The reaction to the measles vaccine varies depending on the severity of the symptoms:
- Weak. The temperature increase is noted by only 1 0 C. The symptoms of intoxication that we discussed above are not observed.
- Average. The temperature rises within 37.6 – 38.5 0 C. Mild symptoms of intoxication are present.
- Strong. The child has a very high temperature, weakness (for a short time), rash, cough, redness of the throat.
The above symptoms may occur when a single vaccine is administered (immunity against measles only). If combined vaccinations are carried out (rubella, mumps), additional symptoms may appear (inflammation salivary glands, joint pain).
Possible complications
Parents are concerned about how the measles vaccine is tolerated. Can post-vaccination complications occur? In medical practice, cases of severe complications have been recorded (very few). Usually the cause of complications lies in:
- violation of vaccination technique;
- failure to comply with contraindications;
- individual intolerance to the components of the drug;
- poor quality vaccine.
There may be such side effects after vaccination:
Contraindications to vaccination for children and adults
Vaccination against measles will help prevent dangerous consequences diseases. But there are contraindications. In some cases, a child (adult) cannot be vaccinated against measles either at 12 months or again at the age of 6 years:
- pregnancy;
- primary immunodeficiency;
- the presence of severe complications from a previous vaccination;
- presence of allergies to aminoglycosides, chicken protein;
- neoplasm (malignant);
- vaccination is postponed for 3 months in case of administration of immunoglobulin and blood products;
- acquired immunodeficiency (AIDS). Vaccination is contraindicated in the development of its severe form. If missing clinical manifestations for HIV infection, administering a live vaccine is permitted.
Documentation Features
All vaccinations are carried out only with the consent of the parents. Vaccinations performed must be documented. Measles vaccination also falls under this rule.
How does the vaccination process take place? Initially, the pediatrician examines the child. Before the drug is administered, parents are given a form to sign indicating that they consent to this medical procedure.
If parents are against vaccination, they are required to issue a written refusal to the procedure. The signature of one of them is enough. The refusal must be drawn up in two copies. The doctor pastes the first copy into the child’s card, copy No. 2 should be attached to the local journal “On immunization of the population.” Parents file an annual waiver of vaccination.
Preventing measles
Measles vaccination is considered the only preventive measure. The weakened virus is not dangerous to health; it will help the body develop immunity to the disease. Sometimes emergency prevention is needed. It consists of vaccination within 2–3 days after a child (over 6 months of age) comes into contact with a sick person.
For young children under one year old (aged 3–6 months), emergency prevention involves the administration of human immunoglobulin. It contains protective antibodies from the serum of donors and people who have had measles. After 2–3 months, active immunization can be done.