Should newborns be vaccinated or not? No matter how much they write and talk about it, this issue is always acute for parents. Indeed, a newly born baby’s immune system has not yet strengthened; it cannot fight viruses on its own. And the danger of infection is great, especially with tuberculosis and hepatitis B. For this reason, the baby is vaccinated against these infections first.
If the child is not vaccinated
Why is vitamin K injected into newborns in the maternity hospital?
Sometimes the baby may not be vaccinated in the maternity hospital (for example, if he and his parents were outside of Russia). It is necessary to contact a medical facility to get all the necessary vaccinations on time.
For your information. If a child is underweight, he or she is not vaccinated. The baby is under the supervision of doctors for two months. Then he is given all the necessary vaccines - there is no escape from compulsory vaccination of the child.
Basic rules of vaccination
What tests are taken from newborns in the maternity hospital before discharge?
Parents need to remember that vaccinations rarely cause complications. If they occur, it is mainly due to the inattention of medical personnel. To avoid possible complications, parents need to familiarize themselves with the properties of the administered drug in advance.
There are the following rules for vaccination:
- Before vaccination, a health worker examines the baby, gets acquainted with the test results, and measures the temperature. He also tells parents about the composition of the drug and possible risks, and informs what vaccinations the child is given in the maternity hospital.
- If parents are not satisfied with the drug offered by the clinic, they can buy another one (it can be very expensive) and give it to the doctor for injection.
- The vaccine purchased independently is stored correctly, in compliance with all necessary standards.
Vaccine storage
- The vaccine is administered in the manipulation room. After the procedure is done, the necessary information is entered into the medical record.
The need for vaccination
Previously, the state financed the immunization program and not only carried out educational activities, but also monitored the implementation of mandatory vaccinations. Insufficient attention to the need for timely prevention of epidemics has led to the emergence of a strange tendency to abandon the previously mandatory program.
After clear examples, such as cases of child deaths in Ukraine due to lack of vaccines, this movement has decreased somewhat. However, some college-educated adults still consider it necessary to refuse preventive vaccinations. But this is one of the most ambitious achievements of medicine in the entire history of its existence.
Today, the parents of a baby have the right to express their disagreement with immunization, but in this case they write a statement and accept all possible consequences. Previously, the situation was determined differently: maternity hospital staff were responsible for administering the vaccine to all healthy babies who had no contraindications, and failure to follow instructions could cause serious trouble.
BCG-M vaccine
BCG vaccination in newborns: what is it, possible reaction
The BCG vaccine protects against tuberculosis. Vaccination against tuberculosis has been mandatory in Europe since the 1950s. A vaccinated baby develops antibodies that prevent the infection from spreading and gaining strength. Just because the unvaccinated body does not produce the necessary antibodies, the disease develops quickly and takes on a dangerous form.
Note! The risk of developing tuberculosis in an infant before reaching one year of age is 10 times higher than in an adult.
BCG does not guarantee 100% protection against tuberculosis. However, the vaccine protects the child from severe forms of the disease. In case of infection, it occurs in a mild form. The vaccine is given at 3-5 days of the baby’s life. The vaccine is injected into the skin, into the upper third of the shoulder.
Introduction of BCG
If the vaccination was not given at birth. home, then it must be placed in a children's clinic after two months. In this case, the baby is given a Mantoux test before vaccination. It helps determine whether the baby has had tuberculosis during these two months.
After vaccination, immunity develops over the next two months.
Hepatitis B vaccination
This is the first vaccination for a child in the maternity hospital. It is done in the first 12 hours of a newborn baby’s life. The risk of contracting the hepatitis B virus in a newborn baby is very high. It affects liver cells, leading to the development of acute liver failure, cirrhosis and liver cancer. If a child is infected before 4 weeks of age, the risk of developing chronic hepatitis increases to 85%.
Important! The hepatitis B vaccine is given to the baby before contact with the outside world.
Possible complications
It is extremely rare (1 time in 100,000 cases) that infants experience the following complications after vaccination:
- nettle fever and other skin rashes;
- anaphylaxis;
- exacerbation of allergic reactions.
Currently, hepatitis vaccines have become even safer, since manufacturers no longer use preservatives - negative reactions now practically do not occur.
Vaccines contain three main active elements:
- HBsAg antigen - part of the envelope of the hepatitis B virus - is a marker of the virus, and it does not contain other auxiliary substances;
- aluminum hydroxide;
- a substance that allows the vaccine to remain effective for a certain period of time.
The medicine does not contain any harmful elements. There is an opinion that vaccinations against hepatitis B provoke the occurrence of all sorts of dangerous pathologies, including multiple sclerosis. In fact, such statements are far from reality, since they are not supported by facts.
According to laboratory tests, the vaccine does not in any way provoke neurological pathologies in the body. Judgments that this procedure is extremely dangerous are, at a minimum, greatly exaggerated, so there is no need to follow them recklessly and refuse vaccination.
Naturally, everyone decides for themselves whether to get vaccinated against hepatitis B in the maternity hospital. Parents should carefully weigh their decision, read all the information regarding vaccinations, and also consult with a specialist.
Prevention of infectious diseases in order to strengthen the child’s immune system is carried out on a free basis, so everyone is able to refuse it. One has only to remember that if a child develops hepatitis, it can easily develop into a chronic form, since in the initial stages it is not accompanied by symptoms and is therefore difficult to diagnose.
The body's response to vaccination
After the administration of the BCG vaccine, the child experiences a local reaction in the body. Then a scar appears at the injection site. The larger its size, the higher the degree of protection against tuberculosis.
Scar after BCG
Attention! The BCG injection site should not be rubbed, soaped generously, or smeared with antiseptics and baby cream. If a crust appears, it should absolutely not be removed.
In rare cases, BCG can cause complications. They are associated with improper administration of the vaccine. Possible appearance:
- sores at the site of vaccine administration;
- abscess;
- keloid scar.
In rare cases, the infection may spread to the lymph nodes.
The hepatitis B vaccine is highly purified and therefore well tolerated. A local reaction to the vaccine is very rare: a slight increase in local temperature, tearfulness, and moodiness. All these changes disappear within one to two days and do not require correction.
When and what vaccinations are given to newborns in the maternity hospital?
Initial vaccinations in the maternity hospital are vaccines against hepatitis B and tuberculosis. The list of mandatory vaccinations for babies in the first year of life is extensive, but these are carried out almost immediately after birth.
Vaccination against hepatitis B
The very first injection for a baby should be a vaccine against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a virus transmitted through saliva, blood, placenta, which subsequently destroys liver cells and affects the organs of the biliary system. This vaccination contributes to the formation of stable immunity to the pathogen. The likelihood of infection is reduced, and if this happens, the occurrence of complications is prevented. Doctors insist on introducing the vaccine for certain reasons:
- the infection is resistant to medications, is difficult to treat, and leads to the death of the patient;
- the virus is resistant to climatic and physical conditions;
- when infected, the load on the liver is high, the disease often leads to problems with digesting food and liver destruction;
- the infectious agent is spreading rapidly, especially among children;
- When infected, the production of proteins and hormones deteriorates.
BCG vaccination
The BCG vaccination is done to produce antibodies to tuberculosis. The causative agent of the disease is called Bacillus Calmette-Genaire. Mycobacterium spreads by airborne droplets. Maternal immunity is not transferred to the child in utero. The disease most often affects the lungs. Less common are extrapulmonary forms, in which the following areas are affected:
- bones and joints;
- central nervous system and meninges;
- organs of vision;
- digestive organs;
- genitourinary system;
- leather.
Immunization of newborns is carried out 3-5 days after birth. The main task is to protect the baby from tuberculosis with the help of BCG from the first days of life and:
- reduce the incidence rate;
- after infection, the infection quickly spreads throughout the body, so vaccination will help prevent the intensive proliferation of mycobacteria;
- reduce complications, symptoms, pain;
- exclude death.
The vaccine is placed in the area of the upper left shoulder. It is forbidden to use the prescribed drug.
After an injection in the arm, an abscess forms at the injection site of the vaccine, which soon becomes covered with a crust. This is considered a normal reaction of the body to the drug. After some time, the scab falls off, leaving a barely noticeable scar for life.
Contraindications to childhood vaccinations
Contraindications to hepatitis B vaccination:
- premature baby's weight is less than 2 kg;
- low Apgar score;
- acute illness;
- purulent skin damage;
- diseases of the central nervous system;
- autoimmune diseases.
Contraindications to BCG vaccination:
- immunodeficiency in the child’s parents;
- enzymatic deficiency in a child;
- severe diseases of the central nervous system;
- particularly severe pathologies that are transmitted genetically.
BCG is not temporarily administered to a child with hemolytic anemia, or in the presence of an infectious disease.
Do people refuse vaccinations?
Some parents, having learned what vaccinations are given to newborns in the maternity hospital, refuse to administer the vaccine. They refer to the small age of the baby and the weakness of the body. Parents have the option not to vaccinate their child. They must confirm their intention in writing; a waiver from one of the parents is required, but it is advisable to have two signatures: both the father and the mother.
The application is written in three copies: one of them is given to the mother, the other is transferred to a medical institution, the third copy remains in the pregnant woman’s exchange card.
Advice. Dr. Komarovsky warns that before refusing vaccination, parents should consider all the risks of such a step. An unvaccinated child has a significantly higher chance of becoming infected. Before refusing vaccination, parents should become familiar with the pathogenesis of hepatitis B and tuberculosis. These diseases are very difficult and take a long time to treat.
Hepatitis in infants
Vaccinations after the birth of a child are done in the maternity hospital in the first days of life. They are necessary for the baby to develop the necessary immune defense. Parents may refuse to vaccinate their child, but they must be aware that in this case the baby’s body will be at risk.
Possible conditions after vaccination
In addition to the fact that vaccination causes stress for the child, other conditions may also occur:
- the child is capricious, crying;
- the child's temperature rises;
- redness and thickening of the skin at the injection site appears;
- there are allergic reactions, rash;
- the child eats worse and sleeps more restlessly.
All these manifestations are considered a normal reaction of the body. Only if the temperature is very high should the child be given an antipyretic drug. An increase in temperature is a signal that the baby’s immune system has activated and is actively producing antibodies against the virus, and an increased body temperature is an antimicrobial factor, since many microbes are not able to survive at high temperatures.
Is it possible to refuse vaccination of a child?
Of course yes. Responsibility for the health of the child lies entirely on the shoulders of the parents. If you have made an informed decision to refuse, you must write a corresponding statement in two copies. The first copy must be included in the exchange card, the second must be given to the doctors in the postpartum department. It is also necessary to verbally notify the employees of the medical institution about the refusal to vaccinate.
If parents have decided to refuse vaccination, then the expectant mother should mentally prepare for the possibility of psychological pressure and agitation from medical personnel in favor of preventive vaccinations. This pressure is due not so much to good intentions as to the “vaccination plan” in force in all public medical institutions.
Most modern doctors still agree that it is necessary to vaccinate newborns against hepatitis B and tuberculosis. The risks of complications after vaccination are much lower than the possible consequences after infection with these diseases.
If parents are not ardent opponents of vaccinations, but do not want to expose the fragile body of a newborn baby to danger, vaccination can be delayed. In this case, the local pediatrician must draw up an individual vaccination schedule in accordance with the wishes of the parents.
