The importance of complying with the vaccine schedule
Maintaining the health of the little ones is not only achieved by taking them to the doctor when they give symptoms of discomfort. The prevention It also plays a very important role in this regard. When it comes to keeping diseases away from children, vaccinations they play a very important role in Medicine. To this end, the Ministry of Health, as well as the various councils in the autonomous communities, ensure a schedule to supply these doses.
A calendar of vaccinations which plays a very important role in the development of the child by ensuring prevention against possible diseases. At each age it is necessary to provide a different dose to deal with different conditions. Comply with these dates throughout the development of the smallest to ensure that these do not suffer all these discomforts.
Immunization against diseases
Since Unicef Parents are reminded of the importance of vaccinating children to guarantee immunity against diseases that are usually fatal in some cases. This organism indicates that these doses act reinforcing the defenses of the child against the disease but that they only have effect if they are administered before the problem appears.
Vaccinating a child when it shows symptoms of a disease is of no use, however, doing so earlier makes the child have the necessary antibodies to cope with contagious conditions such as measles wave chickenpox. Also these doses are very useful to keep at bay problems as serious as whooping cough that can cause the death of children.
Unicef points out that in some cases parents do not vaccinate their children because of the possible side effects that these generate in children. More smalls: fever, cough, etc. However, this organism points out that all of them have little importance, if they are compared with the possible illness that they would cause by the contagion of it. Another reason argued by some parents is that their children suffer from another condition.
From Unicef clarifies that there is no need to fear complications in the disease present in the smallest. Vaccination is perfectly compatible with the treatment of common conditions such as colds, although it is always recommended to consult the pediatrician for possible complications with a drug. In the case of the babies, this organism recommends to maintain the lactancia so that the small one also receives the benefits of this food, as for example its antibodies.
Vaccines in pregnancy
From Unicef it is made clear that vaccines should not only be given when the child is born. During pregnancy, some doses must also be secured so that the child already has antibodies to cope with conditions such as tetanus. This is the calendar that mothers should follow during pregnancy:
- First dose. As soon as you know you are pregnant.
- Second dose. One month after the first dose, and no later than the last two weeks of pregnancy.
- Third dose. 6 to 12 months after the second dose, or during the next pregnancy.
- Fourth dose. One year after the third dose, or during a subsequent pregnancy.
- Fifth dose. One year after the fourth dose, or during a subsequent pregnancy.
Vaccines outside calendar
There are certain vaccines that are not present in the calendar and that are provided each year to prevent diseases like the flu. In other cases, there are doses to prevent diseases that are not funded by the system and that from entities such as the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, a change is requested. Case of Meningococcus B and rotavirus in infants, and meningococcal ACWY and Tdpa in adolescents.
In other cases, such as the flu, it is recommended to request an appointment at the pediatrician to provide it. Especially in cases of risk, that is, children who live with a person who has already contracted it or who suffer from other conditions that reduce their immune system and that are more unprotected. It must be remembered that this vaccine is totally discouraged in children under 6 months.
Damián Montero
