Pediatricians recommend varicella vaccine at 12 months

The world of vaccinations is full of controversy: from those who defend them to those who call themselves "anti-vaccines", passing by others who think it's good to vaccinate but not everything ... in this constant debate, chickenpox is one of those vaccines that always comes into discussion: Yes or no? And, what is almost more important, at what age?

At this point, from the Spanish Society of Outpatient Pediatrics and Primary Care (Sepeap) are clear: varicella vaccine should be started at 12 months, as they defend "most of the pediatric scientific societies of the world," as advocated by the paediatricians of this association.


Controversy of vaccines

These pediatricians criticize that other associations exist that do not agree with which the vaccine of the varicella returns to the vacunal calendar. "The vaccination calendar should not be based on criteria of economic priorities", they assure, while reiterating that it must be based" on medical criteria. "In this way, they ask the Ministry of Health and the different Spanish Autonomous Communities to ppractice this measure "as soon as possible".

Varicella

Chickenpox is a disease that happens to children before 10 years of age. It is caused by a virus and can be complicated in infants, immunosuppressed children and adults. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women because it causes malformations in the fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy.


The virus spreads from person to person, through particles by coughing or sneezing. It can also be transmitted by indirect contact with tissues, or direct with skin vesicles. The probability of infection among schoolchildren and family members is greater than 90 percent.

The possibility of transmission is greater in the first two days of manifestation of the outbreak, although the contagion can begin two days before the presentation of the vesicles. Chickenpox infects up to five days after the appearance of the rash, or until all lesions are crusted. The incubation period between the first contact with the virus and the onset of symptoms varies between nine to 21 days.

The vaccines


In our country it is not mandatory to vaccinate children, but it is recommended by the vast majority of pediatricians, as this prevents the recurrence of diseases that can be dangerous, such as diphtheria. Our health system recommends vaccines without hesitation, there are two types of vaccines: official and recommended.

Although in Spain no vaccine is obligatory, the legislation estimates that in specific cases of risk to public health a vaccine could be made compulsory, as happened in 2010 in a school in Granada, where an outbreak of measles appeared as there were several students without vaccinating. These kinds of situations are not common.

Pediatricians recommend vaccination because these injections protect children from dangerous diseases that could have serious complications or sequels and even cause death. As explained by the Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, some of these conditions are now very rare, "but this is precisely due to the maintenance of vaccinations throughout the population."

Angela R. Bonachera

Video: Keeping Kid's Vaccines on Schedule


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