According to the federal law of the Russian Federation No. 157, every citizen, as well as a stateless person who lives in the country, has the right to free vaccination. In addition, all individuals may legally refuse vaccination. If adolescents over 15 years old make their own choices, then parents decide for young children. In any case, for immunization, a person must fill out a consent or denial form.
What is vaccine?
Vaccination is the introduction of weakened viruses into the human body as part of immunobiological drugs. An injected drug helps to fight healthy cells in the body with infected ones. By defeating weakened microbes, the immune system will become stronger and the body will be able to withstand real diseases.
Any vaccinations, at 4 months or at 1, do not guarantee that a person will not get the infection from which there was a vaccination. But immunoprophylaxis can facilitate the course of the disease, accelerate the healing process and reduce the likelihood of side effects.
Many vaccines are a mixture of vaccines that are injected together.
According to their focus, vaccines are divided into groups:
- Viral - from rubella, mumps, hepatitis, polio, measles, etc.
- Bacterial - from tuberculosis, tetanus, pertussis, etc.
Immunization is planned - the one that is done on a schedule of 7 days, 1, 3, 4 months.
Vaccinations in the event of an epidemic are given to everyone who is at risk of infection.
Some vaccines produce long-term immunity to viruses, while others need several stages of vaccination in order for the body to get enough antibodies to fight. If the antibody level gradually decreases, a second procedure will be introduced - revaccination.
Russian vaccination calendar
In Russia, there is a schedule of immunization, which gives the average norms for administering vaccines to children. It is approved by the Ministry of Health in 2007. Naturally, it is impossible to focus strictly on this situation, each case is individual, the parent has the right to do one type of vaccination, but not agree to another. If possible, stick to the age at which the vaccine is recommended.
The intervals between grafting are important. Intervals and administration schedules of complex vaccines are observed, as is the case with timely immunoprophylaxis. You can not do the next vaccine less than 2 weeks after the previous one!
What vaccinations do in 4 months?
Growing up, the baby increasingly communicates with the outside world. For this reason, he becomes more prone to the risk of contracting an infection. If there are no contraindications, it is recommended to make a series of vaccines.
Vaccinations in 4 months are carried out, as in 3, from 4 diseases:
- Whooping cough is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It is accompanied by inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract, including a violation of normal breathing and damage to the mucous membranes of the throat. Contacting a patient, a healthy person will become infected with a probability of 90%. There is no innate immunity from this type of disease, but after recovery, the body gains protection for the rest of its life. This infection is especially dangerous for children under 2 years of age.
- Diphtheria is a dangerous infectious disease that affects the upper respiratory tract, as well as sometimes the skin, visual and genital organs. Diphtheria is dangerous with the toxin released by diphtheria bacillus. This bacterium poisons the body, disrupting the nervous, cardiovascular and excretory systems. Children from 3 to 7 years are especially at risk.
- Tetanus is an infectious disease that affects humans and all warm-blooded animals. It develops from the bacteria Clostridium tetani getting into open wounds. It is also present in the intestines of humans and animals, but does not harm the wearer there. The virus is not dangerous if swallowed, if it enters the bloodstream, the pathogen produces a strong toxin. Mortality in this type of disease from all cases of infection is 80%, in children under one year of age is 95%.
- Polio is a disease that puts children under 5 years of age at primary risk. The virus has a high contagiousness, can be transmitted by any means. The disease affects the back of the brain, causes paralysis of organs, most often the legs. Complete paralysis of the body can develop in a few hours. It is impossible to recover from polio, even if you save your life, the consequences remain forever.
From the first three diseases they make a complex vaccine called DTP. Adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccination in 4–5 months is repeated, the first time immunization is carried out in 3 months. DTP is the most difficult vaccine for children, it causes many allergic reactions, the child must be healthy before the procedure. But it protects against three deadly diseases, so consent to it is more than justified. If you are intolerant, DTP can be replaced with an imported analog.
The polio vaccine is administered in two ways: intramuscularly and by mouth. At 4 months, vaccination is usually given through a syringe into the muscle.
In total, 3 vaccinations are given through the muscle and 3 revaccinations in the form of drops.
Training
In order for immunization prophylaxis at any childhood to go smoothly, it is best to prepare and not neglect basic methods of protection. This will help protect the baby from possible unpleasant complications.
Regardless of which vaccinations are given in 4 months, the preparation process is almost identical:
- Children prone to allergies are required to use antihistamines 2-3 days before the procedure. Non-allergy sufferers are also advised to take these medications.
- Before the first DTP, it is necessary to pass a general blood and urine test to make sure that the indicators allow for vaccination and there is no hidden inflammatory process. If possible, it is recommended to take tests before each vaccination.
- A week before the planned procedure, you can not introduce new complementary foods, nursing mothers are forbidden to eat new or allergic foods.
- If at the early examinations the baby showed any deviations from health, it is necessary to re-visit the specialist who established this. The doctor will tell his opinion and give recommendations regarding the timeliness of the injection.
- A few hours before the vaccine is given, you can give your child a painkiller.This will not only reduce the likelihood of a rise in temperature, but will also alleviate unpleasant pain for the patient, especially after DTP.
- Before going out, you should measure the temperature of the child, eliminating even small increases. The child must be dressed according to the weather so that he does not freeze and does not overheat on the way home.
- Immediately prior to vaccination, a pediatrician is required.A pediatrician should, on the basis of tests and his own examination, give an opinion on the possibility of vaccinating a child. The last word always remains with the parents.
Procedure
A weakened virus, entering the body, wakes up “healthy cells”, prepares them for future possible diseases. To destroy infectious antibodies, the immune system produces special substances. After which a person becomes the owner of immunity from viruses of a particular disease.
The vaccine is administered in several ways: most often intramuscularly, but also intradermally, subcutaneously, subcutaneously. Some of them are instilled into the nose or mouth.
A second DTP vaccine in 4 months is done in the muscle, just like the first time. Most often, an injection is carried out in the front of the thigh, less often - in the buttock.
This vaccine is painful, if it is not carried out, a lump may occur. During the procedure, it is important to hold the baby tight so that he does not twist his head and wave his hand. Otherwise, it may be injured.
What vaccine will be counted in 4 months from polio? This will be the second injection, before this a similar procedure was expected at 3 months of age. The timing of immunization can be delayed, but one condition is important: a period of 45 days must be maintained between the first three vaccines. If the intervals were more than this period, then the course is not interrupted, but in any case continues.
After three vaccines, a booster course begins. According to the vaccination calendar of Russia, it is performed at the age of 18, 20 months and at 14 years of age.
The polio vaccine can be given by injection intramuscularly, using killed microbes. It is also possible to administer live attenuated poliovirus orally.
After the procedure
The introduction of any vaccine is a great stress for the body, which is why it is carried out only for absolutely healthy children. Immediately after the procedure, you must not leave the medical institution, you must wait at least half an hour. During this time, the condition and behavior of the child is controlled.
After vaccination at 4 months, it is not recommended to walk on the same day, the baby’s body has already received a lot of stress and is busy developing immunity. The day after the introduction of the vaccine by mouth, in the absence of negative reactions, you can go out with the child. It is advisable to avoid visiting crowded places.
If after adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccination at 4 months, the temperature does not rise and allergic reactions are not observed, then on the second day after the child's injection, the child can be taken out to fresh air. The walk should be no more than an hour, at a comfortable temperature and favorable weather conditions.
Regardless of what kind of vaccination a child has at 4 months, when administered intramuscularly, one should not bathe three days after it. If the weather is especially hot and there are no negative reactions, the baby can be rinsed with water at room temperature. The main thing is not to steam the injection site.
When weakened infectious agents are administered orally, it is forbidden to eat within an hour after the procedure.
Possible reactions of the child to vaccinations at 4 months
At 4-4.5 months, a second course of immunization is usually performed, so that the parents of the child are already aware of what kind of reaction to expect from a particular vaccine. But even in healthy children with no contraindications, reactions can occur. Many of them are considered normal and mean that the body successfully fights with the introduced microbes:
- One of the most common reactions of a 4-month-old baby is temperature after vaccination with DTP and polio when injected with a syringe. But with a small increase, do not worry, to reduce the heat, you can give an antipyretic.If the temperature is above 38.5 and does not decrease when taking the medicine, it is better to consult a doctor.
- In addition to temperature, after vaccination at 4 months, an allergic reaction is observed in babies. It is accompanied by a rash, redness of the skin. Most often, it is the AKDS with a complex composition that is to blame.
- With the introduction of an inactivated vaccine, compaction and redness at the injection site, as well as swelling in the form of a bump, can be observed. The iodine grid and the application of the cabbage leaf helps.
- Often, children after complex vaccinations experience drowsiness, apathy and lack of appetite. This behavior is considered normal and will pass in 2-3 days.
- In some cases, upset gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, and vomiting are possible.
Contraindications
It is forbidden to administer any vaccine if the child is sick, even if there are only snot. The period from the moment of the last illness should be at least 2 weeks. Also, vaccination in the presence of diarrhea or vomiting is not allowed.
What vaccination in 4 months can not be done in the presence of problems with the nervous system? This is DTP, a particular danger is its anti-pertussis component. Sometimes in such situations, the doctor prescribes an ADS vaccine.
If earlier after a similar vaccine a severe allergic reaction was observed, then it is necessary to abandon it or replace it with a more gentle one. It is worth focusing on a fever above 38.5 degrees, swelling at the injection site.
If the baby has congenital or acquired immunodeficiency, it is necessary to refuse vaccination, since such children have revealed very unstable reactions to vaccinations.
Taking the polio vaccine is orally contraindicated in crumbs with chicken protein intolerance.
Differences between Russian and imported funds
If the baby had negative and severe reactions in the first stage of vaccination, it is natural that next time mom will want to protect him from this. Foreign vaccines can help avoid vaccines after 4 months of fever and allergies. Imported drugs have a reduced reactogenicity; allergic reactions are less common in children when they are used, but, at the same time, their immunity fades faster after a planned injection.
Imported one-component polio preparations - Poliorix, Imovax Polio. DTP substitutes - Pentaxim, Infanrix Hexa, Tetraxim - multicomponent, one vaccine can be vaccinated against polio, pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria.
Another significant difference between domestic and imported drugs is the price. Russian vaccines are provided free of charge under the law "On the immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases." And, for example, the dose of Pentaxim costs 2,300 rubles, which not everyone can afford.
The use of a foreign drug does not guarantee the absence of allergic reactions.
Is vaccination necessary?
Medical specialists and just mothers of babies do not stop discussing whether there is a real need for vaccination? Preschool and school institutions now accept children without a certificate of vaccination, but nevertheless, pediatricians try to persuade parents to immunization.
Pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus and polio are deadly diseases for which children in the first year of life are a potential risk group. The final decision is up to the parents, but if there are no absolute contraindications, immunization is recommended.
Vaccination does not give a full guarantee of immunity, but a child 4 months after vaccination is much easier to tolerate the disease, without being exposed to mortal risk. In the event of a severe reaction, it is worth paying attention to foreign medicines.
The child’s health is priceless, it is in the first year of life that it is especially weak and is subjected to numerous attacks. The task of parents is to take care of timely and comprehensive medical care, including vaccination. The health being laid now will become the support of a small person for life.