Among the various areas of government responsibility, one of the most affected over the past at least 10 years is public health. A significant marker of this phenomenon is the coverage of preventive vaccinations, which, among other things, reflects the physical availability of vaccines in the country. Therefore, although neighboring countries have begun to systematically expand the “basic calendar,” our task is to increase the coverage of vaccinations already “prescribed” in it. The active, demanding position of doctors, health care managers and parents, whose attitude towards vaccination has changed greatly recently, is a guarantee that the situation will change in a positive way.
History of vaccination in European countries
In the 8th and 10th centuries, variolation began to be practiced in China and India. Treatment of mild forms of smallpox using this method was based on rubbing exudate from the patient's smallpox rash into an incision on the skin of healthy people. This was supposed to prevent smallpox infection, but people still died due to the virus not being killed.
Over time, variolation was used in several more countries, and this procedure came to Europe from Turkey in 1718. Mary Wortley Montague brought her.
The woman had smallpox and wanted to protect her children; later she learned about this method from the Turks and had her son vaccinated.
The vaccine was first used by the English doctor Edward Jenner. He used the cowpox virus, which is less dangerous to humans.
After 30 years of observation, the doctor came to the conclusion that it was able to protect milkmaids from contracting smallpox. The first public smallpox vaccination took place in 1796.
In Europe, a population immunization system was implemented for residents. As a result, most people were able to escape from this disease, and timely vaccination prevented serious consequences in the future, reducing treatment costs.
The next generation of vaccination occurred at the end of the 19th century. French biologist Louis Pasteur, using new methodologies - damaging microorganisms and thereby weakening them, developed and introduced vaccines against chicken cholera, anthrax and rabies. Since that time, vaccination has acquired the status of national prestige, which is reflected at the legislative level; immunization becomes a mandatory procedure.
The term "vaccination" appeared in 1798 in a published article by Jenner, which caused widespread resonance and interest.
What are the disadvantages?
Vaccination is one of the main triumphs of modern medicine. Despite the risks of side effects, these risks are very low, problems are very rare and all are much less serious than the risks associated with the diseases themselves. Many of today's parents grew up without seeing the diseases we vaccinate our children against, so it is sometimes difficult for them to understand why vaccination is so necessary, especially if their child experiences a fever or leg pain after the vaccine. Anyone who has seen children with whooping cough, babies suffocating from diphtheria, and children disabled as a result of bacterial meningitis knows for sure that vaccination is necessary. However, you should be informed of the risks of all medical procedures. Here are some risks associated with vaccinations to be aware of.
Do children get vaccinated in Europe?
Most European countries adhere to the decision to voluntarily carry out vaccination, but in some the procedure is necessary.
In Italy, vaccination is mandatory for attending educational public institutions.
Parents of children must provide all vaccination certificates in a timely manner. In Italy it is not allowed to refuse vaccination, and if you are late for vaccination you will have to pay a fine.
In Germany, it was possible to get rid of many diseases for which vaccination was previously prescribed.
The authorities decided that all kindergartens are obliged to report to health authorities if parents do not provide a certificate indicating that the child is vaccinated. Since 1998, the BCG vaccination, which can protect the body from many severe forms of tuberculosis, is no longer given. This was due to the fact that the probability of incidence in Germany is estimated to be below 0.1% and in this case, the World Health Organization decided to refuse BCG immunoprophylaxis and production of the vaccine was stopped.
France also passed a law requiring vaccinations. According to the law, all children must receive 11 mandatory vaccinations according to the vaccination schedule. Mandatory vaccines are considered for: diphtheria, polio and tetanus, while 6 other vaccinations for whooping cough, measles, hepatitis B, rubella and mumps were recommended.
On January 1, 2018, this status was changed to mandatory.
The fight against COVID-19: Europe has begun vaccinating teenagers, but is in no hurry to register Sputnik V
EU countries have started vaccinating children aged 12-15 against COVID-19
Last Friday, May 28, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorized the use of an American-German drug produced by Pfizer/BioNTech for vaccination against coronavirus in children aged 12 to 15 years.
Earlier, representatives of the Standing Commission on Vaccination in Germany (Stiko) indicated that they were not ready to make a recommendation for the mass use of this drug, since data on its safety are still very limited. However, only about half of German families agree to vaccinate their children, and 40% reject childhood vaccination. Such data were published by the sociological institute Civey on the eve of the EMA decision.
There is a vaccine, no solvent: Lyashko told when teachers will be vaccinated
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Facebook, Victor Lyashko
The very next day, May 29, Romania began vaccinating children aged 12 to 15 years with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. In particular, in the capital of the country, Bucharest, two mobile vaccination stations were placed in one of the city parks, whose employees began to vaccinate willing children. According to the Romanian news portal Hotnews.ro, vaccination is carried out only after parents sign a document consenting to vaccination.
It is noteworthy that the Romanian authorities took such a step without waiting for the official approval by the European Commission (EC) of the permit issued by the EMA. This decision was made by the EC only on Monday, May 31. Stella Kyriakides announced this on her Twitter. Thus, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine became the first drug approved in the EU for vaccination of adolescents.
In Poland, vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 years against COVID-19 will begin on June 7, the authorities of this country reported. Initially, vaccinations will be given at vaccination centers and doctors, and from September it is planned to carry out vaccinations directly in schools. Israel's medical regulator has also approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12-15, and the country plans to begin vaccinating teenagers this weekend.
And French Prime Minister Jean Castex noted on May 31 that at the next meeting of the Security Council under the leadership of the country's president, the issue of vaccination of children and adolescents over 12 years of age will also be discussed. The risk of severe forms of COVID-19 or death from the disease in this age category is significantly lower than in older generations, but the question of expanding vaccination to children is being raised due to the need to achieve the maximum rate of vaccinated population to stop the coronavirus epidemic.
Politicized pests and vaccine. How Belarus and Ukraine are fighting the deadly virus
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REUTERS, Roman Baluk
France began vaccinating all adults without restrictions
From Monday, May 31, in France, the entire adult population, without any exceptions, has the right to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For French people over 18 years of age, all age restrictions have been removed, which in the first stages of the campaign made it possible to provide vaccines to priority groups of the population as much as possible: people of older generations, doctors, social workers, ambulance rescuers, as well as patients with serious or chronic diseases that increase the risk of severe forms of COVID -19.
Authorities estimate that 28 million French adults who have not yet been vaccinated are now eligible for vaccination. Almost 25.5 million people in France have already received at least one dose of the vaccine (almost 50% of the adult population, or 38% of the country's total population). Almost 11 million people (more than 20% of the adult population) have been fully vaccinated with two doses of approved drugs.
Authorities expect that by June 15, 30 million French people will have received at least one shot. From May 31, the country plans to administer about half a million vaccinations daily. A significant increase in vaccine supplies is also expected in June: France expects to receive almost 77 million doses (compared to 44.5 million received in May). By the end of summer, France plans to fully vaccinate about 70% of the adult population.
At the moment, in France, the pace of vaccination has slowed down in the priority category - among the elderly. 80% of French people over 70 have received at least one shot, and 62% of them are fully vaccinated. In this regard, last week the French Academy of Medicine advocated the introduction of “mandatory” vaccination, believing that otherwise it would be “very difficult” to achieve “herd immunity sufficient to bring the epidemic under control” before the end of the summer. To do this, according to academics, it is necessary to vaccinate 80% of the entire population of France, that is, 90% of all adults.
The country's top officials are also trying to change the trend. The Prime Minister and the head of the French Ministry of Health have been vaccinated for a long time, and on May 31, French President Emmanuel Macron . The head of the republic called on his fellow citizens to follow his example, but did not specify what drug he used. As you know, Macron suffered from COVID-19 in December 2020.
And two days earlier, King Felipe VI . The 53-year-old head of state received the vaccine as Madrid began vaccinating residents over 50 years of age in May (the vaccination order in the country depends on age - from the oldest to the youngest groups). Felipe VI was vaccinated “at the place and time he was supposed to,” the sources said, without announcing which vaccine was administered to the monarch.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Skachko said when the Russian vaccine will definitely reach Ukraine
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RIA Novosti, Vladimir Trefilov
Chronicles of vaccination in Russia and in the world
More than 18 million Russians have already been vaccinated with the first component of the COVID-19 vaccine, said Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko . “Population activity has increased very well now,” he added. At the same time, on June 1, vaccination against coronavirus began in Russia with the drug “CoviVac”, developed by the Center named after. Chumakova. The first three thousand doses arrived at medical institutions in Moscow, the press service of the capital’s Department of Health reported. Before this, only the Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona vaccines, also domestically produced, were available to the population in Russia.
The US administration has intensified efforts in the vaccination campaign of the country's population. President Joe Biden on June 2 announced a “national month of action,” with the goal of ensuring that at least 70% of U.S. adults have received their first coronavirus vaccine shot by Independence Day, July 4th, up from 63% currently. Biden urged his fellow citizens to consent to the vaccine in order to “get rid of the fear of infection.”
In Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute, almost 1.2 million people received a coronavirus vaccine on June 2. In total, 37.1 million people (44.6% of the population) have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the vaccine, and 16.3 million (19.6%) have been vaccinated with two doses. And in the UK, as of June 2, almost 75% of adults have received at least one coronavirus vaccine, and 48.9% of British adults have been vaccinated with both doses of the vaccine.
China administered 17.98 million COVID-19 vaccine injections in just one day, May 29. A total of 620.97 million vaccinations have been administered in the country since the outbreak began, the National Health Commission said. At the same time, on June 1, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the second Chinese coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in people over 18 years of age - the drug Sinovac-CoronaVac produced by Sinovac Biotech. Previously, WHO approved the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. Now the list of vaccines approved by WHO includes seven drugs: two variants of vaccines from AstraZeneca, the Chinese Sinovac and Sinopharm, as well as the American Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen.
Passion for Sputnik V
Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Health Sergei Glagolev expressed hope that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will register the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in the coming months. “Over the last year, we have been intensively communicating with the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency at all stages before registering the vaccine,” said an official at SPIEF 2021.
According to the Deputy Minister, representatives of the EMA and WHO representatives visited Russia, in parallel with inspections of production sites, inspections of clinical trials took place, and the Gamaleya Center, together with the RDIF, is completing preparations for the international registration dossier. “I hope that in the coming months appropriate decisions will be made on the WHO and EMA platforms,” Glagolev added.
However, such long periods clearly do not suit potential consumers of the Russian vaccine in Europe. Thus, on May 30, the Prime Minister of the German federal state of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, demanded that the EMA promptly register Sputnik V. According to Söder, the EMA's review of the vaccine must be accelerated and cannot be slowed down "for ideological reasons." Bavaria, after authorizing the Sputnik V vaccine in the EU, plans to purchase more than 2.5 million doses of the drug. However, the German publication Bild am Sonntag reported, citing sources in government circles, that the decision to register the Russian vaccine will not be made earlier than September.
At the same time, Sputnik V has already been registered in two European Union countries, Hungary and Slovakia, simply not according to a centralized, but according to a national procedure. In Hungary, the Russian vaccine has been used since February, and in Slovakia it will begin to be vaccinated from June 7. On June 1, registration of those wishing to be vaccinated with Sputnik V has already begun in Slovakia, which will be available in the capital of the country, Bratislava, and seven other Slovak cities.
Hungary began negotiations with Russia on the production of Sputnik V at home. Peter Szijjártó, announced this on June 3 on his Facebook page following a meeting in St. Petersburg with the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov . And in an interview with Izvestia, Szijjártó noted that a million Hungarian citizens have already been vaccinated with Sputnik V. According to Bloomberg, Hungary plans to begin production of the Russian vaccine at a new plant in 2022.
Are European adults given vaccines?
For adults, vaccinations against diseases are also prescribed, which should be done at intervals of several years. Every 10 years it is necessary to get vaccinated against tetanus and diphtheria.
If vaccination was not carried out in childhood, then 3 vaccinations must be given.
The first two doses of the vaccine are administered 1 month apart and the last one is administered after 1 year. Further revaccination is carried out every 10 years.
People whose professional activities are at risk should undergo regular revaccination:
- Sanitary and epidemiological services.
- Agriculture.
- Construction organizations.
- Maintenance sewerage facilities.
- Medical institutions and laboratories.
- Educational institutions.
Revaccination must be done against rubella, measles and mumps. Re-vaccination is required between the ages of 22 and 29, depending on when the last vaccination was given. After that, revaccination is carried out every 10 years.
Vaccination against chickenpox can be carried out regardless of age, however, vaccination is not required if a person has already had this disease, since after recovery, immunity to it is developed. Studies have confirmed the theory that protection after vaccination lasts for more than 30 years, for this reason revaccination may not be carried out. If a healthy person comes into contact with a chickenpox carrier, it is necessary to vaccinate against this disease no later than 72 hours later.
Immunity against hepatitis B, subject to vaccination and revaccination in childhood, lasts for 8 years. It is recommended to have the next vaccination between the ages of 20 and 55 years.
Revaccination against hepatitis
Every 7 years is a necessary condition for people at risk:
- Donors and recipients.
- Persons at increased risk of sexually transmitted infection.
- Patients preparing for surgery.
- Medical staff.
Vaccination against meningococcal and pneumococcal infections is carried out once. Revaccination is possible for people at risk:
- HIV-infected.
- Suffering from blood diseases.
- Having undergone splenectomy.
- With chronic liver diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus, renal failure.
Repeated revaccination against tuberculosis can be carried out based on the recommendations of the attending physician, and is indicated for persons in contact with patients:
- For doctors.
- Those working in prisons.
- Social service workers.
Repeated vaccination is recommended before visiting: Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Latin America.
Problems and prospects
Thus, the prospects for expanding the domestic vaccination calendar can be seen in the example of Poland: first, the inclusion of vaccination against pneumococcal, then meningococcal, and possibly rotavirus infection. In the future - against the human papillomavirus, Herpes zoster infection (chicken pox, shingles). It would be good to provide vaccination against hepatitis B and influenza to people at risk as soon as possible and to carry out catch-up immunization for those who missed the age requirement.
Thus, ECDC analysis shows that even in countries with a high overall level of vaccination coverage, there may be unvaccinated groups of the population, and they are at increased risk of infection. Thus, up to 80% of adolescents and young adults who contracted measles in Europe in 2021 were not vaccinated. That's why it's important for teens and young adults to check their vaccination status.
Much has been written recently about the risk of diphtheria outbreaks in our country similar to those experienced in the 1990s and early 2000s. At that time, the incidence rate reached 10 per 100 thousand population, and the frequency of deaths among patients was up to 4–6% (Mokhort H. et al., 2018). However, in some age groups the situation is usually more severe. Thus, according to researchers from Latvia, in the period 1994–2014. with an overall mortality rate of 7.3%, in the age group ≥60 years this figure was 14.6%, 50–59 years - 13.3%, under 5 years - 13.1% (Kantsone I. et al ., 2016). However, only one of the deaths was fully vaccinated. Losing one in eight children who get sick is very scary.
Our situation with polio vaccination coverage is also unfavorable (see figure). ECDC considers that there is an ongoing risk of the disease being imported into European countries, as evidenced by outbreaks caused by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). If WPV-1 is imported and its circulation is subsequently restored, the overall risk to EU residents will be:
- very low in populations vaccinated with oral polio vaccine (OPV) both in terms of infection and disease development;
- moderate in terms of infection in cohorts vaccinated with inactivated vaccine only, and very low in disease development;
- high for infection in poorly or not vaccinated populations and moderate for disease development.
What vaccinations do children get in Europe?
The European calendar contains 15 necessary vaccinations against the following diseases: whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, hepatitis B, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and others.
In the vast majority of countries, parents decide on a child's vaccinations. In France and Italy, 3 vaccinations are considered necessary, but in Belgium there is only one. Afterwards, everything is done at the discretion of the parents. If they deem it necessary not to do any of the vaccinations, the child will still be allowed into kindergarten, school and any other social environment.
List of required vaccines:
- Tetanus. This is done for the reason that a child, due to his activity and mobility, can easily get hurt and get an infection.
- Hepatitis B. This disease is very contagious and can be contracted through things shared with a sick person or through saliva.
- Polio. It is covered by insurance in European countries and is easily tolerated by the body.
- Chickenpox, rubella and measles. These diseases are highly contagious and can be easily picked up while in public. Most often they affect children.
In some European countries, parents may be offered a comprehensive vaccination that includes protection against 6 diseases: whooping cough, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, polio and meningitis.
Subject to the consent of the parents, the first vaccination will be carried out at 5 months, after which it must be repeated every 8 weeks 2 times. At 14 and 16 months, the child is given a vaccine against mumps, measles and rubella. The vaccination must be repeated within 180 days, but not earlier than 2 months from the date of the previous vaccination. Before carrying out the procedure, the specialist must conduct a complete examination of the child.
Directory of diseases
Below you can read the list and descriptions of diseases that are prevented by vaccinating children.
DIPTHERIA (“D” in DTP vaccine)
HEMOPHILIUS INFECTION/TYPE B (Hib vaccine)
HEPATITIS A
HEPATITIS B
MEASLES (the first “K” in the MMR vaccine)
MUMPS (“P” in the KKP vaccine)
WHOOPING COUGH, also known as whooping cough (the "K" in DPT vaccine)
PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASES
POLIOMYELITIS (IPV, inactivated vaccine given intramuscularly, or OPV, oral vaccine taken by mouth)
ROTAVIRUS INFECTION
RUBELLA (the second “K” in the MMR vaccine)
TETANUS (“C” in DTP vaccine)
CHICKENZOX or chickenpox (chickenpox vaccine)
Vaccine certification
“It’s time to turn the page on 2021. The European Union is starting vaccinations to ensure the safety of our 450 million citizens. This is a true European success story,” wrote the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Twitter, commenting on the start of vaccination.
In order to launch this process before the end of 2021, the European Commission has shortened the certification process for the Pfizer vaccine to a few weeks, which would normally have taken about six months. At the same time, according to the official representative of the European Commission, Stefan De Keersmaeker, “the certification procedure was not shortened or simplified, it was carried out in full.”
An EC spokesman explained that, in contrast to usual practice, Pfizer provided European regulators with data on clinical trials of the vaccine as soon as it became available, and then all information was immediately processed. Meanwhile, under normal conditions, the company would have to fully complete all stages of clinical trials and only then submit a full package of documents for certification to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Thanks to this parallel procedure, the Pfizer vaccine received approval for the EU market on December 21.
Mandatory childhood vaccinations before traveling abroad
Mandatory vaccination before traveling abroad is vaccination against yellow fever. It can be performed on children from 9 months of age. To effectively protect your baby from a dangerous disease, he needs to be vaccinated no later than 10 days before the trip. A single vaccination guarantees protection for 10–15 years. Parents should note that the interval between any vaccine and injection against yellow fever in children should be at least 2 months. The requirement for this vaccination cannot be ignored, since when crossing the border to a number of countries in South America and Africa, tourists are always required to have an international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
Union for the Rescue of the Tourism Sector
For European tourism - both for operators and for travelers themselves - the news about the opening of borders is clearly positive. Strict restrictive measures introduced against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago dealt a crushing blow to the tourism industry of EU countries - as well as to other tourist countries of the world. The UN World Tourism Organization estimates that the global lockdown has reduced the number of international tourists by 74% in 2021, causing export earnings to fall by $1.3 trillion.
Let's go in season
International tourism exhibition FITUR 2021 in Madrid
Photo: TASS/Zuma
Or miles: airline passengers were offered bonuses for getting vaccinated against COVID
This practice can be extended to rail transportation, car sharing and taxis, social activists believe
The FITUR tourism congress, which opened this week in Madrid, is dedicated to the issues of resumption of work in the tourism sector, in which delegations from more than 50 countries participate. According to the Spanish Minister of Tourism, now “the industry has reached a turning point.” “With vaccination campaigns underway around the world, countries whose economies depend on tourism are eager to attract tourists again and believe it is time to get back to business,” Reuters writes. “Most participants believe that even with vaccination certificates, it will take time to regain the confidence of potential travelers, and short-distance travel will remain the norm until next year.”
