8 truths about childhood vaccination

Nobody questions the importance of immunization. But the news of an unexpected reaction from Sabin and the resurgence of whooping cough raises insecurities. Before being impressed, learn more about the degree of importance and the risks of this prevention.

1. Punctuality makes a difference

It’s okay to delay or advance an application a little, but avoid it. The calendar is calculated to provide maximum protection for your baby. “Delays, including reinforcements, leave the little one unprotected, and advances can be inefficient if the immune system is not mature”, warns pediatrician Renato Kfouri. There are cases, however, such as chicken pox, common in the spring, in which it is worth anticipating the vaccine if the pediatrician authorizes it.

2. If he has the flu, don’t give him

Flu, allergies and minor ailments are not a reason to postpone a vaccine. But the little one should not be immunized if he has a fever or a more serious problem, such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection and viral conditions that cause red spots on the skin. “Vaccination is also contraindicated if the child is using drugs that lower immunity, such as corticosteroids”, warns Kfouri. If in doubt, consult your pediatrician before vaccinating your child.

3. Reaction is not a “take” sign

With the exception of intradermal BCG – which is given while still in the maternity ward and leaves a small mark on the skin when it is caught – it is not expected that any vaccine will show signs that the immune system has started to produce antibodies against the disease. “There’s nothing to worry about”, guarantees the doctor Ana Paula Moschione. After all, vaccines have already been tested and proved to be efficient. In special situations, blood tests can verify protection against rubella and hepatitis A and B. In addition, only 10% to 15% of children have reactions – such as fever, irritability and headache or at the site of the bite – and, even in them, the effects are mild. “Most people have nothing, which does not mean that the vaccine was useless”, says Ana. If your child is on the team that resents the vaccine, it’s easy to resolve. Apply cold compresses to the bite site up to 24 hours after application. From this period onwards, if the swelling continues, use a warm compress. If there is pain or fever, you can give the analgesic or antipyretic recommended by the pediatrician. But never use these medicines preventively, before the vaccine, as they interfere with the action of the vaccine.

4. Where? It’s your choice

Health center, private clinic or pediatrician’s office. Each place has its advantages and it is up to you to choose according to your possibilities and convictions. At gas stations, the benefit is zero cost. “But, in vaccination clinics and pediatric offices, there are usually versions that are more complete or that provoke less reactions than those offered by the government”, ponders Kfouri. An example is the pneumococcal vaccine – the posts apply the 10-valent vaccine and the clinics the 13-valent vaccine, which protects against a wider range of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis. Whatever the choice, it is important that the place is well cleaned, inspected by the Health Surveillance and that it has a refrigerator or chamber with temperature control for storage, in addition to a protection mechanism in case of power outages. In pediatric offices, the doctor must have accreditation and a special license, issued by the Sanitary Surveillance, check. Always vaccinate your child in the same place – that way, if his card gets lost, it is possible to recover the records without having to repeat the dose.

5. Bundling vaccines works

It’s a fact: no child likes to get vaccinated. No wonder, therefore, that the combination of different immunizers in a single dose is a trend, as it guarantees, with fewer bites, the same protection that your baby would have taking each one individually. “The grouping, however, is only possible when the interaction between the components does not interfere with the efficiency of each formula or cause side effects”, explains pediatrician and immunologist Victor Nudelman. “To ensure safety, polyvaccines undergo rigorous testing by bodies such as the FDA, the government agency that approves drugs in the United States, and Anvisa, in Brazil”, completes Ana. Therefore, rest assured in relation to another novelty that will come into effect in the official vaccination schedule in August: the current tetravalent vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and type B hemophilia) will be replaced by the pentavalent vaccine, which also immunizes against hepatitis B. three doses – at 2, 4 and 6 months. The pentavalent was created by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, in Rio de Janeiro, and by the Butantan Institute, in São Paulo. Brazilian scientists are working to, in four years, replace it with the heptavalent one, which will include injectable polio and against meningitis C conjugate.

6. Relax, Sabin is safe

Perhaps you were a bit wary when, in the second half of last year, the case of a 1 year and 4 month old boy from Pouso Alegre (MG) who developed paralysis after receiving the third dose of the anti-polio vaccine in drops was published. At the time, the Ministry of Health clarified that cases of contamination are rare and happen in the proportion of 1 for every 3 million doses applied. He also announced that he was studying the replacement of the vaccine in drops, Sabin, by the injectable one, Salk, in the immunization of babies in the first semester of life, the most vulnerable. Change made! Starting in August, health posts will apply injectable polio to children who begin the immunization process. For the others and in the campaigns, the droplets continue. “The difference is that the injectable vaccine uses the inactive virus, which is less aggressive than the attenuated virus in the oral version”, explains Ana. In private clinics, the injectable is already offered in conjunction with the pentavalent.

7. When to join the campaigns

The purpose of mass vaccination is to form an immunological protection wall so that, if someone is infected outside the country, the disease does not spread. If your child is up to date on vaccinations, participation is at your discretion. If he has received a recent vaccine, there is no risk in immunizing him against the same disease. “The only reinforcement we always recommend is Sabin. Not so much for personal care, but for the protection of the community”, says Ana. The vaccine virus, weakened, spreads through the population, creating an indirect immunization, beneficial to all.

8. Illnesses go… and come back!

Last year, the World Health Organization issued a warning about the risk of measles outbreaks in several countries, and around here, whooping cough returned to show up. Why are diseases that have relied on vaccines for so long a resurgence? It is not possible to analyze the effect of immunization from an individual point of view. As Nudelman explains, when you think about a population, it may be that few people have been immunized, that the vaccine used was not very efficient or that it had a limited duration. “Not to mention that no vaccine is 100% effective”, says the doctor. In the case of whooping cough, the highest contamination rate currently occurs among adolescents and adults. In this public, the disease is confused with a cold and does not bring major complications. The problem is if the infected person comes into contact with an unvaccinated baby. “In them, the disease is serious. Therefore, it is important to renew the application of the vaccine in nannies, parents, teachers who live with young children”, says Kfouri.