Pediatricians warn of the lack of vaccines
The health of children is a matter of concern to both parents and pediatricians. Sometimes, the lack of means to fight possible illnesses in the minors generates a concern among the professionals of the Medicine since its fight against the affections becomes more difficult. In this case the unrest is caused by the shortage of some important vaccines to prevent these problems in the welfare of children.
This has been reported by the Spanish Society of Outpatient Pediatrics and Primary Care, SEPEAP, who indicates their concern in the absence of meningococcal B, Papilloma, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccines. This organism refers to the data that has resulted from the meeting of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, CISNS. These numbers result from the confirmation of the measures approved in the different autonomous communities.
Depletion of the dPta vaccine: diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough
In this communication SEPEAP also praises the measures of the different autonomous communities for unifying a calendar of vaccinations within Spanish territory. He then pointed out his concern about the lack of PDA vaccines, aimed at preventing diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough and that it should be administered in children aged four to six years. This body also points out that In the absence of stock, priority is given to pregnant women, stating that with good judgment, to prevent cases of whooping cough in infants under 2 months.
SEPEAP also shows its concern regarding the human papillomavirus vaccine in children. This body expresses the wish that it be systematically administered to all children, since at present it only applies to girls. This organism refers to clinical results in which it is shown that when injections occur in both sexes, the results are better, so they understand that its use should be generalized in both boys and girls.
Finally, SEPEAP states that it lacks meningococcal B and rotavirus vaccines in the calendar, especially in the first as indicated by this association. This organism believes that once the stock problems of these vaccinations have been overcome, it will be possible to prevent the massive disease of meningococcus B, which is directly related to the lack of supply of these injections.
The importance of vaccines for children
In Spain parents are not obliged to vaccinate their children, but most pediatricians do recommend their use and are in agreement with their benefits, as this prevents the reappearance of diseases that can be very serious, such as diphtheria The Health System of our country advises vaccinations to parents, there are two types of vaccines: official and recommended.
Although in Spain no vaccine is mandatory, the Legislation considers that there are specific cases of risk to public health. On these occasions a vaccine could be made compulsory, a clear example was the one that happened in 2010 in a school in Granada, where an outbreak of measles appeared as there were several students without vaccinating. This kind of situations are not common, so pediatricians remember that they can be avoided by vaccinating children.
At this point there is a conflict between the official and recommended vaccines. While the former are free since they are administered by the autonomous communities, the latter must be acquired by the parents in the pharmacies. This fact causes that not all the families can assure the same vaccines to their children, reason why the risk of a possible outbreak of the same increases as it happened in the case previously mentioned of a school in Granada.
Damián Montero
