DTP vaccination is the most frequently discussed by parents of babies. Hundreds of thousands of moms and dads have spoken out for and against this vaccination on numerous Internet sites. Some tell scary stories about how a child with a high fever underwent vaccination, others say that they did not notice any reaction to the administration of a biological drug in their child.
DTP has its opponents and supporters, and quite often the question is raised whether it is necessary to do DTP at all. On this topic, it is often necessary to give a qualified answer to Yevgeny Komarovsky, a pediatrician of the highest category, known in the vastness of Russia and in the former CIS countries.
What it is
The DPT vaccination is one of the very first in a child's life, it is done at an early age, and therefore the very fact of this vaccination raises many questions and doubts among the parents of infants. The name of the vaccine consists of the first letters of the names of the three most dangerous infectious diseases for children - whooping cough (K), diphtheria (D) and tetanus (C). The letter A in the abbreviation stands for “adsorbed”. In other words, the vaccine contains the maximum amount of active substances obtained by adsorption (when a high concentration is achieved from a gas or liquid on the contact surface of two media).
Thus, the adsorbed diphtheria-tetanus pertussis vaccine (DTP) is designed to stimulate the production of specific antibodies to the listed infections in the baby's body. Immunity will "get acquainted" with the microbes-causative agents of whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus, and in the future, if such pests enter the body, will be able to quickly identify them, recognize and destroy them.
Vaccine composition
DTP includes several types of biological material:
- Diphtheria toxoid... This is a biological material obtained from a toxin, but does not have independent toxic properties. The dose of the vaccine contains 30 units.
- Tetanus toxoid... A drug obtained in the laboratory based on a toxin that affects the body in tetanus. By itself, it is non-toxic. DTP contains 10 units.
- Pertussis germs... These are the real causative agents of whooping cough, only previously killed and inactive. 1 ml of DPT vaccine contains about 20 billion of them.
Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids are included in the composition of the drug, because it is not the causative agents of these ailments that are terrible for the child, but their toxins, which begin to be produced as soon as the microbes are activated in the child's body. Dead whooping cough is the most active component of the drug; it is to this that children often react after vaccination.
When to do?
DTP is included in the National Vaccination Schedule, which implies a certain time frame for vaccination, which Dr. Komarovsky strongly advises against violating. Children do it three times. The first time the baby reaches three months of age. Then at 4.5 months and six months. If the first vaccination for some reason did not take place (the child was sick, quarantine was announced for influenza or ARVI), then they begin to vaccinate him from the current moment, strictly observing the interval between vaccinations from 30 to 45 days).
Revaccination should take place one year after the third injection. If the baby is on schedule, then in a year and a half, if the first vaccination was given to him later than the due date, then 12 months after the third vaccination.
A child will have to face DTP at the age of seven, and then at the age of 14, these will be one-time revaccinations, necessary to maintain the level of antibodies to tetanus and diphtheria at the proper level.
Children who are already 4 years old, as well as older children, are given ADS vaccine, if necessary, devoid of killed pertussis microbes. The same vaccine will be given to children who have already had pertussis.
How to do?
DPT can be combined with other vaccinations prescribed for the baby according to the National Calendar. However, simultaneous administration with BCG is not allowed (this vaccination must be done separately).
For babies, DPT is injected intramuscularly into the thigh, for older children - into the shoulder. Up to 4 years of age, a child must have 4 vaccinations.
Komarovsky about DPT
Yevgeny Komarovsky advises worried and doubting parents to carefully read the issue, and advise those who oppose vaccination in general to reconsider their views. Since DTP, according to the doctor, is a highly effective way to protect a baby from diseases dangerous to his health and the only reasonable choice for moms and dads.
In this video release, Dr. Komarovsky will tell us everything he thinks about the need for DPT vaccination
As with any prophylaxis, vaccination with adsorbed diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine requires some preparation and preparedness of parents for possible problems. However, they are quite surmountable, Komarovsky emphasizes, if you follow a certain algorithm of actions.
We take into account the drug
First of all, parents should be aware of which manufacturer's vaccine will vaccinate their child. Today there are many such drugs, they have their pros and cons, but there are no frankly bad vaccines on the pharmaceutical market at the moment. Parents are in no way able to influence the choice of a vaccine, since the drug is delivered centrally to polyclinics. DTP vaccination, which is given free of charge.
Now let's listen to Dr. Komarovsky on the topic of complications after vaccinations
However, mothers and fathers can go the other way, and ask the pediatrician to inoculate the baby with Tetracocom and Infanrix, these drugs are expensive, and such vaccination is done exclusively at the expense of the parents. Komarovsky, based on personal experience, claims that there are a lot of children who fall ill with whooping cough after taking DPT on time. However, in his practice, there were only isolated cases of this disease in children vaccinated with Infanrix or Tetrakok.
The reaction to Tetrakok is sometimes stronger than after DPT. Infanrix is much better tolerated by most children. Komarovsky does not exclude the use of "Pentaxim", the composition of this vaccine additionally introduced biologics against poliomyelitis.
Baby's health
At the time of vaccination, the child must be completely healthy. It is for this baby that a pediatrician always examines before an injection. But the doctor sees your child less often and less than the parents, and therefore careful observation of the child's condition by mom and dad will help the doctor decide whether the right time has come to administer the vaccine.
And here is the video where Dr. Komarovsky will tell you when you can not get vaccinated
You cannot be vaccinated with DPT if the child has signs of SARS, a runny nose, a cough, or he has a fever. If the baby has previously had seizures that have nothing to do with high fever, the vaccine cannot be given. If the previous procedure caused a strong allergic reaction in the toddler, a high temperature (over 40.0), Komarovsky also advises to refrain from DTP vaccination. With great care, the doctor should make a decision to vaccinate a baby, in whose medical record there are marks about the presence of serious immune diseases.
If the baby has a runny nose for a long time, but the appetite is excellent and there are no other symptoms of the disease, Komarovsky is sure that rhinitis in this case will not be a contraindication for vaccination.
If the time has come to give a shot of the vaccine, and the child is teething with might and main, and his condition is far from perfect, he can be vaccinated. There is only one limitation - high temperature. In this case, the procedure is postponed for some time until the state of the crumbs becomes stable. If there is no fever, then the ACSD will not harm the baby, who is soon planning to acquire the first teeth.
Training
Evgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that it is the parents who should first of all assess the condition of the baby, and if doubts arise, be sure to tell the doctor about them at the next appointment.
It is advisable to have a complete blood count a few days before the expected date of vaccination. The results of such a study will help the pediatrician understand if everything is in order with the baby.
Komarovsky advises children with allergic dermatitis to do DPT only after no new skin rashes have appeared for 21 days. Previously, a child prone to severe allergies can be given an antihistamine, the name of which and the exact dosage should be prescribed by a pediatrician. Self-activity in this matter is unforgivable. However, Evgeny Olegovich advises not to take Suprastin and Tavegil, since these drugs "dry" the mucous membranes, and this is fraught with complications after an injection into the respiratory tract.
Monitor your baby's bowel movements. The day before the vaccination, on the day and the next day, the baby should walk in a big way so that the intestines are not overloaded. This contributes to the fact that the baby can more easily survive the DPT. If there was no stool, you can do an enema a day before going to the clinic or give the child laxatives approved for age.
It will be better if the mother reduces the amount of food in these three days, reduces its calorie content and does not overfeed the child. Komarovsky recommends to artificial babies to dilute the dry mixture at a concentration lower than that stated by the manufacturer, and to those who are breastfed, he advises to suck out less milk, giving warm drinking water as a "supplementary feed". According to Komarovsky's observations, the vaccine is more easily tolerated by those who feed on the breast, and not with mixtures. It is better not to feed the baby for 2 hours before the injection.
Vitamin D, if the baby takes it additionally, should be stopped 3-4 days before the intended vaccination. After vaccination, you need to wait at least five days to start taking the vitamin again.
Don't dress your child too warmly in front of the clinic. Vaccination is more likely to harm a sweaty baby with a lack of fluid in the body than a baby dressed for the season and weather.
Now let's listen to Dr. Komarovsky on how to prepare for vaccinations.
Komarovsky's advice
- If, after the DPT vaccination, the child has a pronounced reaction, you should not blame the drug manufacturers and the attending pediatrician for this. According to Komarovsky, the matter is solely in the state of the baby's health at the current time.
- You can try to reduce the risks of a reaction to the vaccine by carefully choosing the drug. Infanrix and Tetrakok are sold in Russia, however, Evgeny Olegovich categorically does not advise parents to buy them in online pharmacies. After all, there is no guarantee that the vaccine, the cost of which is from 5 thousand rubles per dose and more, was stored correctly and did not violate these rules during transportation and in the process of delivery to the buyer.
- To make it easier for a child to tolerate the DPT vaccine, and at the same time all other vaccinations, Komarovsky strongly recommends taking proper care of him, especially during periods of his incidence of viral infections. Not to stuff the baby with pills that suppress the immune defense of the crumbs, but to ensure such conditions under which the child will develop strong immunity, which makes it easy to cope with both diseases and the consequences of vaccination.
- Proper care includes a sufficient stay in the fresh air, a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and microelements, the baby does not need to be overfeeded, entangled and fed with different medications with or without food, Komarovsky believes. A normal baby's lifestyle is the main secret of a successful vaccination.
- If a reaction to DPT manifests itself (high fever, lethargy, impaired appetite), at home you need to prepare in advance drugs to normalize the water-salt balance ("Rehydron") and antipyretic "Ibuprofen" and "Paracetamol".
- The half hour that the doctor asks you to spend in the corridor of the polyclinic after the vaccination, Komarovsky recommends to spend in the fresh air near the medical institution, so it will be easier for the baby to endure the "immune training".
