According to startling statistics, approximately thirty percent of adults do not have sufficient immunity to protect them from such a dangerous disease as mumps. The situation is similar with other childhood infectious diseases.
The reason lies in the fact that after graduating from school, when vaccinations were mandatory, few people think about them. The body's protective functions may become weaker or disappear completely over time.
Because of this, a person becomes “open” to various microorganisms and bacteria. It should be taken into account that various “childhood” diseases are very difficult to tolerate in adulthood. So is vaccination necessary every 10 years?
What vaccinations do adults get?
Many people may think that they are completely healthy if they feel well.
It seems to them that there is no chance of infection by any means, since their immunity reliably protects the body from any harmful and dangerous microorganisms. This is an erroneous judgment. There are cases when people become infected completely unnoticed. It is in such situations that a vaccine may be required so that the disease proceeds mildly, without the development of unwanted complications.
It should be remembered that only mass vaccination can eradicate serious infections, thereby preventing the subsequent spread of pathologies. Nowadays, when refusal of vaccinations is not uncommon, some diseases are beginning to return. These include measles.
Vaccination schedules for those who have already been vaccinated in childhood and those who have not are fundamentally different. There are serums that must be administered to adults in the appropriate sequence.
Adults should definitely be vaccinated against diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, mumps, rubella, measles, chicken pox, hepatitis B, tick-borne encephalitis, tuberculosis.
When to get a flu shot?
A flu shot must be done every year, since according to WHO, between 300 and 500 thousand people worldwide die from influenza every year. Children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with chronic diseases are at risk.
It is necessary to get vaccinated against influenza before the annual outbreak of the disease - in September or October. Immunity is developed within 7-14 days after vaccination. You can get vaccinated and when the seasonal flu outbreak has already begun, antibodies to the infection will begin to be produced and, even if you get sick soon after vaccination, it will be easier for the body to cope with the virus.
The flu shot is recommended, but is not included in the list of free vaccines, so each person makes the decision whether to get vaccinated or not. However, vaccination allows you to develop immunity to strains of the virus that are active in the current season and completely avoid the disease or transfer it much easier.
What is the name of the vaccination that is given every 10 years?
There are two vaccinations that need to be repeated every ten years.
We are talking about vaccines against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus, as well as mumps, rubella and measles. The diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus vaccine should be given even if the vaccine was given earlier in childhood or adolescence.
After reaching the age of sixteen, this vaccine must be administered once every ten years. This applies to cases where the person has already been administered it before.
If this is the first vaccination against the pathologies in question, then it can be carried out at any age. To do this, it is important to give three vaccinations: the first two should be done within a break of thirty days. And the last one is done exactly twelve months later. It is recommended to repeat the procedure after ten years.
The vaccine against mumps, rubella and measles is recommended to be administered between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-nine. This is true if you have previously been vaccinated against these infections.
After this, revaccination must be carried out every ten years. This also applies to those individuals who have never been vaccinated against the listed diseases. You can do it for the first time at any age. Further revaccination is recommended to be repeated once every ten years.
Regulatory support of the Russian Federation in the field of immunoprophylaxis
In the Russian Federation, vaccine prevention is considered an integral part of state health policy. In accordance with the paradigm of modern medicine - a shift in priorities from treating diseases to preventing them and maintaining health, vaccine prevention is presented as one of the main areas of disease prevention and the formation of a healthy lifestyle.
It is precisely these priority tasks that the activities within the framework of the national project “Healthcare” are aimed at, developed in accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 204 “On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024” dated 05/07/2018 on the basis of the Government Resolution RF “On the organization of project activities in the Government of the Russian Federation” dated October 31, 2018 No. 1288.
A system of measures carried out to prevent, limit the spread and eliminate infectious diseases through routine vaccination and vaccination for epidemic indications is carried out in Russia on the basis of the Federal Law of September 17, 1998 No. 157-FZ “On the immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases”. On the territory of the Russian Federation today there is a National calendar of preventive vaccinations and a calendar of preventive vaccinations for epidemic indications, approved by order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated March 21, 2014 No. 125n.
In accordance with this order, vaccination is carried out covering 12 infectious diseases:
- viral hepatitis B,
- tuberculosis,
- diphtheria,
- tetanus,
- whooping cough,
- hemophilus influenzae infection,
- measles,
- rubella,
- parotitis,
- polio,
- flu,
- pneumococcal infection.
Article 1 of the Federal Law of September 17, 1998 No. 157-FZ “On Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases” defines the national calendar of preventive vaccinations as a normative legal act establishing the timing and procedure for carrying out preventive vaccinations for citizens, and the calendar of preventive vaccinations for epidemic indications as a normative legal act establishing timing and procedure for carrying out preventive vaccinations for citizens according to epidemic indications. Depending on the epidemiological situation, changes may be made to the National Vaccination Calendar. An example is vaccination against viral hepatitis B, the need for inclusion of which in the national calendar of preventive vaccinations was due to the pronounced increase in the incidence and prevalence of this infectious disease in the 1990s.
According to paragraph 2 of Article 4 of Federal Law No. 157, the state guarantees citizens free preventive vaccinations included in the specified calendars in organizations of the state and municipal healthcare systems.
The organization and procedure for vaccination are presented in the guidelines dated March 4, 2004, “Procedure for Preventive Vaccinations” MU 3.3.1889 04, approved by the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as MU 3.3.1889 04). Let us consider to what extent the MU data, in conjunction with other legal acts of the Russian Federation, meet the requirements of timeliness and efficiency within the organization and implementation of vaccine prevention measures in medical institutions on the territory of our country.
Who is contraindicated for revaccination every 10 years?
Modern vaccines have virtually no contraindications. However, some of them cannot be given to adults every ten years.
Permanent contraindications:
- pronounced post-vaccination reactions to the previous administration of a certain drug used for vaccination. The appearance of severe swelling at the injection site;
- complications arising after a previous vaccination. These include collapse, nonfebrile convulsions, anaphylaxis;
- anaphylactic reactions to egg white;
- allergy.
Temporary contraindications:
- illnesses occurring in acute form;
- exacerbation of various chronic processes;
- primary immunodeficiency conditions;
- the presence of various malignant tumors in the human body. This also includes oncology, which affects the circulatory system.
During pregnancy, vaccination is strictly prohibited.
Vaccination against human papillomavirus
Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) is necessary to protect against cancer of the cervix, oropharynx, genitals, and anus. The virus also causes the formation of papillomas or condylomas (neoplasms reaching a size of 2-3 cm) on the mucous membranes. Initially, these are benign growths, which, however, can degenerate into malignant ones and cause cancer.
Vaccination is most effective before sexual activity begins, since transmission of the virus can occur during the first sexual contact. Basically, the vaccine is given to girls, but in recent years it has also been recommended to boys in order to stop the transmission of HPV through sexual contact, as well as to protect men from the development of cancer.
WHO recommends that adolescent girls and boys be vaccinated starting from 9-11 years of age. However, the HPV vaccine can also be given at older ages - up to 45 years.
The vaccination schedule depends on the vaccine and is selected individually after consultation with a doctor. Vaccination allows you to develop immunity against diseases caused by HPV for a period of at least 15 years.
Should you get vaccinated: pros and cons of vaccination
Experts recommend starting to draw up an optimal vaccination calendar. This should be done together with an immunologist. You also need to donate blood to check for antibodies to a particular infection. If they are present, then you can refuse vaccination.
Why you should vaccinate:
- The vaccine only briefly weakens the immune system. Later it becomes even stronger. As is known, humans do not have natural immunity that would be aimed at eliminating the causative agents of various severe infections. Vaccination is the only way to protect yourself from dangerous pathologies;
- partial protection is much better than no protection;
- infections that enter the body leave behind complications that can affect the quality of life. Rubella in pregnant women can lead to congenital deformities of the fetus. Therefore, it is advisable to get vaccinated against this disease in advance;
- Modern vaccines contain virtually no toxins. This ensures that the vaccine does not harm the person;
- illnesses that vaccination can protect against can lead not only to disability, but even to death. The risk of death is much higher than in the case of post-vaccination complications;
- widespread refusal to vaccinate can provoke outbreaks of epidemics of deadly pathologies in cities.
Disadvantages of vaccination:
- some are of the opinion that the introduction of a vaccine can undermine a person’s immunity;
- manipulation is not a 100% guarantee that in the future a person will not get sick with a specific illness;
- the danger of various infectious pathologies is greatly exaggerated. Many people believe that the risk of complications from vaccination is higher than the risk of contracting a particular disease;
- Each drug used for vaccination contains toxins and preservative chemicals that pose a threat to the human body.
One of the reasons for the occurrence of unwanted complications is improper preparation for vaccination. It is especially important to pay attention to this point for people with allergies.
How long do vaccinations last?
All vaccinations have different durations of action. The effect of some vaccinations lasts for 1, 5, 10 years, but most often - for life. Compliance with the vaccination calendar allows up to 16 years of age to obtain stable, lifelong immunity to major infectious diseases. And, for example, it is recommended to be vaccinated against pneumococcal infection every 5 years, against tetanus - every 10 years, since the number of antibodies to these infections gradually decreases and immunity weakens, therefore, to increase the level of protection of the body, a new dose of the vaccine is needed.
Contraindications to vaccination
Contraindications to vaccination can be permanent or temporary and vary depending on the vaccine.
Constants include⁵:
- severe reaction after the first dose (temperature above 40 ℃ and/or swelling with a diameter of more than 8 cm);
- primary immunodeficiency, severe suppression of the immune system (deep immunosuppression), malignant neoplasms, progressive diseases of the nervous system, a history of afebrile seizures;
- intolerance to vaccine components (chicken protein, yeast, etc.);
- the child's weight is less than 2000 grams.
In this case, most often a permanent medical exemption is given from the use of live vaccines. Pediatricians still insist on the need for vaccinations and strive to make vaccination as safe as possible. Thus, children with primary immunodeficiency are vaccinated with inactivated and toxoid vaccines instead of live ones. During the period of immunosuppressive therapy, wait for its completion, and in the presence of a malignant tumor, the patient’s stable condition. Premature babies begin to be vaccinated as soon as their condition stabilizes and weight begins to gain.
ARVI may be a reason to temporarily postpone vaccination. Photo: belchonock/Depositphotos
Vaccination is temporarily contraindicated if:
- acute infections or chronic diseases during their exacerbation;
- mild forms of ARVI, acute intestinal diseases - before the temperature normalizes.
If there are contraindications, the doctor issues a medical exemption for up to 3 months or forever - in case of permanent contraindications. Medical withdrawal must be justified. The grounds for withdrawal are not asthma, dysbacteriosis, colic, illness in the family, etc.
Important! If there is a temporary medical outlet, it is important to continue vaccination after it ends. Lack of vaccinations can lead to much more serious consequences than complications from vaccines. For example, if a child is not vaccinated against tetanus, any open wound, if dirt gets into it, can lead to infection (remember that tetanus without proper treatment leads to death in 70-90% of patients). Also, during pandemics or epidemics, a child may be refused admission to school or kindergarten if he is not vaccinated.
