Things to know about immunizations

Since the vaccine was born, millions of children worldwide have been saved from infectious diseases every year. In Vietnam, too, thanks to the expanded immunization policy, the mortality rate of children is decreasing. Therefore, knowing about vaccination will help you feel secure and will not be confused because of its complications.

What is vaccination?

Drugs Priorix (Photo: TTO)

Immunization is to create artificial immunity for the body by introducing an antigen-containing vaccine into the body (depending on whether the antigen is possibly inactivated, attenuated, synthetic antigen, toxin. ) to stimulate the body to create antibodies against pathogens.

The structure of the vaccine includes:

- Antigen: may be bacteria, inactivated virus, toxins, synthetic antigens .

- Stabilizer: used to preserve vaccines and prevent bacterial growth.

- Environment.

- Foreign antigens: make up a very small percentage that pharmaceutical companies seek to eliminate, the less in the vaccine the better.

Antigen nature of vaccines:

- Virility-reducing virus: including vaccines, varicella, mumps, rubella.

- Toxic virus: including all types of measles and polio vaccine.

- Inactivated virus: polio vaccine

- Toxic bacteria: BCG tuberculosis vaccine.

- Inactivated bacteria: whooping cough vaccine.

- Polysaccaride: vaccine for meningococcal disease, typhoid, meningitis caused by H.influenzae.

- Surface antigens: hepatitis B vaccine

Possible complications when vaccinated

Like all drugs, vaccines can also cause undesirable effects, but the ratio is very small and depends on many factors such as drug manufacturers, storage and distribution processes, Technical injections, syringes, site of injection .

Body : anaphylaxis, fever .

Spot :

- Abces the injection site due to infection

- Abcès is cold at the injection site because the vaccine is precipitated (when the injection is not shaken).

- Lymphadenitis due to overdose of BCG tuberculosis vaccine.

In addition, depending on the type of vaccine, there are different complications such as:

- Polio vaccine can cause polio fever (from 1/5 million to 1/8 million).

- The measles + mumps + rubella vaccine may cause rash, mild fever, lymphadenopathy, swollen joints (ratio of ½ - 1/5); Encephalitis, convulsions (very rare).

- BCG tuberculosis vaccine can cause purulent lymphadenopathy, subcutaneous abcus (rate of 1-2%) .

Note :

- Do not inject the next dose of vaccine if there is a reaction to the vaccine.

- Do not get vaccinated if you have a serious or moderate illness (the doctor will examine you before the vaccination).

Although there have been some recent unexpected events when immunized against measles + rubella (vaccine Priorix), the authorities are now searching for the cause, the vaccine is still an effective weapon in the world. fighting against diseases through which millions of children are rescued every year and the expanded vaccination program still proves the superiority in the initial prevention in our country.

Dr. NGUYEN DINH SANG
(Reference material: Pediatrics - HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy)