Vaccinations against infections such as mumps, rubella and measles are included in the Russian national immunization schedule. What should parents know about such vaccination in order to better understand whether their baby needs it?
Why are these diseases dangerous?
Rubella in children is mostly mild, causing encephalitis in only one out of a thousand sick babies, however, it is dangerous during pregnancy, since it causes severe pathologies in the fetus (deafness, blindness) or leads to miscarriage. That is why non-vaccinated women planning to have a baby should take care of getting vaccinated against this infection.
Mumps (mumps) is more dangerous for men, since the infection causes inflammation not only of the salivary glands, but also of the testicles. According to statistics, orchitis with mumps develops in 20-30% of adolescent boys, as well as men, it often leads to infertility. In adolescent girls and women, in 5% of cases with mumps, the ovaries become inflamed, which can also cause infertility. In addition, with mumps, the pancreas becomes inflamed in 4% of patients.
Measles is also referred to as dangerous infections, since it is very quickly transmitted from a sick person to other people, often causes complications (pneumonia, encephalitis, otitis media) and death. Measles is especially dangerous in early childhood. There is also a monovaccine for measles, in this case the child is not vaccinated against measles and mumps.
Pros
Thanks to the vaccination, the child will be protected from these infections by 95-98%. And since there are no special drugs that affect their pathogens (only symptomatic treatment is used), vaccination becomes a really good defense. It gives immunity for decades.
Minuses
- A severe allergic reaction can develop to the vaccination if the child is injected with an imported vaccine, and he is allergic to chicken eggs.
- Vaccination against measles and mumps is performed using Russian vaccines, and if parents want to choose an imported drug for their baby, they will need to buy it at their own expense.
Adverse reactions
Vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella can cause the following side effects:
- Local changes - slight swelling, hyperemia, soreness (it happens in 10% of those vaccinated).
- Fever - the temperature rises to 39 degrees 5-15 days after the injection (it happens in 10-15% of children).
- A rash, as a reaction to a measles or rubella vaccine, happens 5-15 days after vaccination in 5-15% of babies.
- Catarrhal changes - coughing, redness of the throat, runny nose.
- Increased salivary glands - occurs 5-21 days after vaccination, it happens on one side or bilateral, disappears in 1-3 days.
These reactions do not require treatment and soon disappear without a trace.
Possible complications
In rare cases, the following complications may occur for the administration of the vaccine:
- Convulsive syndrome (at high temperature).
- Allergy.
- Encephalitis caused by a measles component (develops in one baby out of a million vaccinated, often if the child has immunodeficiency states).
- Serous meningitis caused by the mumps component (can develop in one in 100 thousand vaccinated).
How can complications be prevented?
To make the risks of complications minimal, it is important to take into account all the contraindications to this vaccination:
- It should not be performed immediately after a blood transfusion (only after three months).
- The vaccination should be postponed if the child has an acute illness or a chronic pathology has worsened until the condition improves (it is advised to vaccinate one month after recovery).
- Vaccination is not performed if the baby has immunodeficiency, cancer, or active tuberculosis.
- The drug should not be administered to children allergic to aminoglycosides and chicken eggs.
Should you get vaccinated?
All infections that this vaccine will protect against are considered dangerous. For example, measles is transmitted through the air, so the risk of infection is very high. In this case, the disease significantly weakens the immune system. Mumps is a dangerous risk of infertility, and rubella threatens normal pregnancy. And since there are no drugs against these pathogens, vaccination is the best option for protecting against infection.
Vaccination schedule
According to the vaccination schedule, vaccinations are carried out at 12 months. The first revaccination also includes vaccination against all three infections and is performed at 6 years of age. If the child was not vaccinated on time, rubella vaccination is carried out at the age of 13.
Children are vaccinated with both monovaccines and combined drugs that protect against all these infections at once.
The measles vaccine is domestic, as well as the measles-mumps (protects against two infections at once). Among foreign drugs in our country, they use the Ruvax measles vaccine, Ervevax and Rudivax rubella vaccines, as well as the combined drugs Priorix and MMR II (they are used to vaccinate against all three infections at once).
E. Komarovsky's opinion
The popular doctor is sure that all these infections are extremely dangerous, so vaccination will be the best solution for all parents who care about the health of their children.
Training
Before administering the vaccine, the child must be examined by a doctor to establish the absence of contraindications. It is also recommended that the child's urine and blood be tested before this vaccination.
If there is a high risk of an allergic reaction, two days before the vaccination, the baby is given an antihistamine. It should also be given within two days of the injection. If there are suspicions of neurological contraindications, the child should be examined by a neurologist.
How is the injection done?
All vaccines are presented in dry form, therefore, before administration, they are dissolved in the ampoule of the solvent attached to the preparation. The vaccine is injected subcutaneously into the shoulder or under the scapula.
What to do if side effects appear?
Local skin changes after an injection do not require any treatment and often go away in 1-2 days. If the child has a fever, it can be relieved with an antipyretic drug. If a local reaction is severe, fever, or other warning signs, the child should be seen by a doctor.
