Vaccines contain antigens or parts of antigens that are not strong enough to cause disease, but stimulate our immune system to immunize against the disease - the body becomes resistant to infection with a specific (one or more) pathogenic microorganism.

Vaccinationsprotect not only the individual vaccinated. If they are conducted on a mass scale, they also have an impact on population immunity. Thanks to the popularization of vaccinations, the occurrence of many dangerous diseases around the world has been reduced, and smallpox has been eliminated.Vaccinesalso protect against dangerous, often fatal complications of given diseases.

Protection from measles vaccination

Measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases. It is usually fairly gentle, but not always. The most serious complications, most common in children under 5 and adults over 20 years of age, are blindness, encephalitis, acute diarrhea, otitis, and acute respiratory inflammation, including pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death from measles virus infection. Encephalitis occurs in 1 in 1000 cases, otitis media in 5-15%. cases, and pneumonia in 5-10 percent. A rare, fatal complication of measles is subacute sclerosing encephalitis (SSPE), the symptoms of which become apparent several years after contracting measles.

Protection from whooping cough vaccination

Whooping cough is an acute bacterial disease of the respiratory tract that affects not only children. In children under 6 months of age, the main symptoms of whooping cough infection may be apnea, cyanosis, and even loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen. Without effective treatment, permanent complications and even death may occur. Other complications may also occur in sick children, e.g. purulent pneumonia, otitis media, permanent brain damage related to hypoxia and pangs of toxins, weight loss. Vaccinations against whooping cough are compulsory vaccinations for children, but neither the full vaccination schedule nor the disease will protect them for life. The immunity expires after 6-12 years. Therefore, it is recommended to give booster doses to 14 or 19 year olds andall adults, usually every 10 years.

Protection provided by vaccination against hepatitis B

In children, hepatitis B is usually asymptomatic with a tendency to develop into a chronic form, unlike in the elderly, where the mortality rate from acute disease may reach 2%. Chronic hepatitis (affecting>30% of children and <5% of adults) carries a high risk of cirrhosis (25%) or cancer (5%). Moreover, patients with hepatitis B are a reservoir of the virus. Virus carrier usually lasts for life. It is estimated that there are over 300 million carriers of the virus in the world.

Protection of tetanus vaccination

Most cases of tetanus in humans occur due to contamination of the wound with soil or dust. As a result of the action of toxins produced by bacteria in the wound, non-specific symptoms (fever, weakness) and muscle dysfunction appear. Thereafter, systemic muscle contractions intensify, often fatal due to hypoxia, as well as damage to the heart or lungs due to tetanus toxin. Trismus is a characteristic symptom of tetanus. The disease may be mild or severe, characterized by generalized constriction, dysphagia, dyspnoea, profuse sweating, apnea, cyanosis and loss of consciousness. Mortality in the case of this disease is high, it can reach up to 50%. and depends on the severity and types of clinical symptoms, patient's age, time and type of medical care provided.

The protection of chickenpox vaccination

Chickenpox is not always mild. It can be associated with complications that affect both children (complications not only occur in children with weakened immunity, but largely affect he althy children) and the elderly (they can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women and the fetus). The most common complications of chickenpox include: bacterial skin superinfections, neurological complications (cerebellitis, meningitis, non-febrile seizures), pneumonia, and dehydration. As a result of the activation of viruses that remain in the ganglia after infection, symptoms of herpes zoster may appear after many years. Vaccination protects against chickenpox, which can be administered to children and adults, also after contact with the virus (post-exposure prophylaxis) up to 72 hours after contact with the sick person. Currently, a two-dose vaccination schedule is recommended, with an optimal interval of 6 weeks between doses.

Protection from rotavirus vaccination

Rotaviruses areresponsible for about 50 percent. acute diarrhea in children under 5 years of age The main symptoms are watery diarrhea with mucus, high fever, severe vomiting that can very quickly lead to dehydration. Diarrhea in infants and young children is particularly dangerous, causing a rapid loss of fluids and electrolytes in the body, dehydration, and as a result, metabolic disorders and the need for hospitalization. It is estimated that approximately 21.5 thousand. children<5. r.ż. jest hospitalizowanych w Polsce z powodu zakażeń rotawirusowych. Eksperci szacują, że z powodu biegunki wywołanej rotawirusami lekarze na całym świecie udzielają rocznie ok. 15 mln porad, a prawie 527 tysięcy chorych umiera. Jedynym skutecznym zabezpieczeniem się przed zachorowaniem na rotawirusową biegunkę są szczepienia.

Protection from HPV vaccination

People exposed to the Human Papillomavirus infection are at least once in their life - according to WHO data - as much as 50-80 percent. of the population, including almost 40 percent. women under 25 years of age. Some types of this virus are carcinogenic. Responsible is, among others for the formation of cervical cancer (infection is a prerequisite for this cancer to develop). Unlike many other viruses, it multiplies locally in epithelial and skin cells. The most common infection is sexually, but it is also possible to spread it through direct skin-to-skin contact.

Protection from influenza vaccination

Flu is an extremely contagious viral disease. The virus spreads via airborne droplets, causing cyclical epidemics and pandemics. All age groups are susceptible to seasonal influenza, but the greatest number of hospitalizations due to influenza is reported in children and the elderly. Hospital stays are caused by severe course and complications.Possible complications after influenza:

  • viral pneumonia (high mortality)
  • secondary bacterial pneumonia (caused most often by: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and β-hemolytic group A streptococci)
  • exacerbation of existing heart and respiratory diseases
  • toxic shock (S. aureus)
  • Reye's syndrome in patients treated with aspirin
  • post-influenza encephalitis
  • Injury to the heart muscle
  • myositis
  • acute laryngitis
  • ZUŚ
  • bronchitis
  • febrile seizures (mainly in children)
  • kidney damage
  • death (mainly in the older age group)

The composition of the vaccine is annually verified by the WHO on the basis of observations of types and subtypes of influenza virus in many regions of the world and prepared so that it can be effective against the currently dominant strain of the virus.

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Infectious diseases