CHILDHOOD VACCINATION AN UNDERMINED GOOD

Hello lovely people of this wonderful community,I bring greetings. Hope you all are doing well? Today I will be talking about about vaccination and how it's undermined in some parts of the world due to ignorance.

People usually have different opinion and mentality when it comes to vaccination against diseases which could be as a result of some misconceptions or myths and this post will discuss this issue.

I know most persons have never heard of the 6 killer diseases, while some others too have but do not know what these diseases are as well as how to prevent or tackle them. This post today will basically explain these diseases as well as vaccination as a major way of preventing them from coming into existence.

So I will encourage us to patiently flow with me in this article as I will try my possible best to make it easy to comprehend.
Before I start discussing about these killer diseases, I would love to briefly talk about vaccination which could synonymously be referred to as immunization, although there's slight difference in their meaning.

VACCINATION (IMMUNIZATION)

Vaccination simply put is the process of transferring immunity (defense or resistance) against a disease to humans through the use of vaccines.

To further explain, Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity for a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating the body's adaptive immunity, they help prevent sickness from an infectious disease.

It is worthy of note that although most vaccines are administered to prevent the individual from contacting the disease when exposed, some also have the aim of reducing the complications or severity of the condition on the individual when he or she must have been exposed or infected already by the disease causing microorganisms.

HOW DO VACCINES WORK?

Usually, when these vaccines are administered, the body recognizes the antigen and this causes a reaction in which the body's immune system fights the organism in the vaccine through the production of antibodies, there by protecting the individual from contacting the infections. Also, when the individual gets exposed to the actual organism later, the body having the memory of it previously, releases antibodies that will get rid of that particular disease causing organism, there by protecting the body from harm.

TYPES OF VACCINES

There various types of vaccines, but I will briefly discuss few in relation to my post.

LIVE ATTENUATED VACCINES
As the name goes, the organism is still alive but it's ability to cause disease is reduced to the bearest minimum such that it can only induced immune reactions without causing infections. Vaccines under this type have the following uniqueness:

It induces long-lasting and rapid onset of immunity, often reduce the need for booster vaccinations, do not need adjuvants, can be produced at relatively low cost, and can be administered by the oral route

KILLED VACCINES
These are vaccines just as the names goes with microbes, in which the disease causing microorganisms have been killed and this simply to reduce their rate of causing infections. This type of vaccines can also be called dead or inactivated vaccines.

TOXOIDS
This type of vaccines are made from the killed or dead toxins (poisonous), which usually are produced by these microorganisms to infect the body. But because these toxins are dead, they are no more poisonous to the body.

Now back to the main discussion for the day which is the killer diseases.

THE SIX CHILD KILLER DISEASES

These are diseases in children that causes great harm to their health as well as their bodies especially when not discovered early and because of the great harm they pose on these children, preventive means where discovered to reduce the effects. These diseases includes: Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, pertussis,tetanus, measles, poliomyelitis.

TUBERCULOSIS
Most of us if not all already knows what this disease is and how it manifests. It's simply an infection of the respiratory system specifically the lungs which is caused by a microorganism which is a bacteria known as mycobacterium tuberculosis. This infection can also affect other parts of the body aside the lungs.

Children usually come down with this infection most times because some parents either because of ignorance or personal believe, do not ensure immediate administration of the vaccine to their babies at birth there by exposing them to even people who may have the infection.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis... Different parts of the body that the TB attacks

COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDREN
The following are some of the complications from tuberculosis in children:
• Damage to the bone which could be from osteoporosis and this usually is seen in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (outside the lungs).
• The lungs could also be damaged which is also life threatening too and this is seen in the pulmonary tuberculosis.
• The spinal cord as well could also be affected.
• It could cause deformity in the child physically.
• it can also lead to the death of the child.

Complications of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in a child

Because of the complications associated or experienced from this disease condition in children, the tuberculosis vaccine is encouraged to be administered immediately at birth before the baby is exposed to the outside world because at that age their immune system is very low.

PREVENTION
This is usually prevented through the vaccine BCG (BACILLUS CALMETTE GUERIN), Dose = 0.05ml , time = At birth, route = intradermally, Type of vaccine= live attenuated vaccine.
This when adhered to protects the child from contacting the infection.

POLIOMYELITIS

This is another disease of the childhood that attacks children if not prevented. It is caused by the poliovirus and usually it causes abnormalities or deformities of the body especially in the lower limbs if not prevented or identified on time. This virus causes this deformity by simply attacking the spinal cord of the child or individual. This infection can be transmitted from person to person and can also be ingested from food.

COMPLICATIONS OF POLIOMYELITIS
The following are a few of the notable complications of poliomyelitis:
• The weakening of muscles especially of the limbs, which could result to deformities in the limbs.
• It could also result to paralysis of some body parts.

Complications of poliomyelitis in the limbs

PREVENTION
This disease condition can be prevented from occuring through early vaccination against it. And the name of the vaccine is called oral polio vaccine (opv). Usually this vaccine is commenced from birth.

Sensitization on OPV Vaccination

At birth, the OPVo is administered, at 6 weeks the second dose of the vaccine is administered (OPV1), at 10 weeks the third dose is administered (OPV2)while the last dose is administered at 14 weeks (OPV3) together with the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) which comes as injection, altogether making it a total of four doses with 4weeks interval between each vaccination.** Dosage= 2 drops orally, type of vaccine= live attenuated vaccine(Opv) and killed or inactivated vaccine (IPV)**

So many children and adults too are victims of this infection because they didn't get this vaccine while some others too narrowly escaped it's deforming effects. That's why it's important to ensure that babies receive this vaccine to prevent this negative outcome.

TETANUS (lockjaw)
This is a condition which is characterized by serious muscle contraction and it is seen to affect majorly the muscles of the jaw and neck. This condition is caused by a microorganism which is a bacteria called the clostridium tetani and it's usually seen in the soil. The major point of attack is the nervous system and the brain which brings about very serious complications.

Usually, this infection is gotten when ever open injuries or wounds comes in contact with soil that is why after any sharp cut by nails, knifes, scissors, bottles etc tetanus it's adviced that the individual gets a shot of the vaccine to boost the immunity.

It is not really the bacteria that does the harm but the toxins released by it that causes the damages and that is why the vaccine for it also was made by killing the toxins.

COMPLICATIONS
Some of the harmful outcomes of tetanus in children includes:
• Fracture which is as a result of the severe muscle spasm and convulsions.
• The respiratory system will be impaired due to the effect of the spasm of the muscles.
• Injuries due to the contractures of the muscles as well as well as convulsions.
• Death n severe conditions.

A replica of what an infant
will experience, Convulsion in a tetanus infected adult patient

PREVENTION OF TETANUS IN CHILDREN
Tetanus can be prevented in children through the administration of the vaccine called the Tetanus Toxoid vaccine and this usually administered at different period of time based on the immunization schedule. I will also like to point out that the vaccine is not administered alone singly but currently in combination with other vaccines also used for childhood diseases and this combination is called Pentavalent vaccine.

From the name penta vaccine, it shows that the vaccine is a combination of five different vaccines for five different diseases in one, these diseases are: diphtheria, pertussis,tetanus,haemophilus influenza type B and then hepatitis B and this was done to inorder to make it convenient and minimise the pain babies pass through in getting multiple vaccines at a time as well as save cost.

**The penta vaccine which contains this tetanus Toxoid vaccine is usually commenced at 6weeks after the birth of the baby (Penta 1), the second dose is at the 10th week while the last dose at the 14th week making it 4 weeks interval and 3doses of tetanus vaccine, booster doses are administered later in life. Tetanus vaccine comes in injectable form and is made from the the dead toxins of the bacteria.

DIPHTHERIA
This is a respiratory system infection which is which is transmitted through airborne droplets and it's caused by an organism called corynebacterium diphtheria which is a disease causing bacteria. This condition can be prevented through the administration of the vaccine Pentavalent.

COMPLICATIONS OF DIPHTHERIA IN CHILDREN
• Paralysis of some parts of the body.
• Airway will experience blockage there by impairing the respiratory system.
• Death from complications unmentioned.

PREVENTION OF DIPHTHERIA IN CHILDREN
This condition can be prevented from occuring through adhering to the immunization policy by encouraging people around you both family members and outsiders to ensure proper Vaccination of their babies and children to prevent the complications which might occur if not well handled. Vaccine = Pentavalent, doses= 3doses, injectable.

Sensitization on diphtheria Vaccination

PERTUSSIS (whooping cough)
This is also a dangerous respiratory system infection in which there is unbearable and serious cough by the victim which is the major feature of this disease. It is caused by an organism which is called Bordetella pertussis which is a bacterium. It can be transmitted through airborne droplets.

A child presenting with whooping cough

COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDREN
Some of the complications of Pertussis includes:
• Respiratory complications eg pneumonia and lung collapse.
• Neurological complications eg paralysis, seizures.
• otitis media.
• Death if not prevented or well managed.

PREVENTION IN CHILDREN
This disease condition can be prevented basically through administration of the Pentavalent vacine in the 3 doses at 6, 10 and 14 weeks. This vaccine will help the body's immune system develop antibodies to fight the organism.

MEASLES (Rubeola)
This disease is a viral infection which usually affects the respiratory system and the virus responsible for this infection is called the rubeolavirus and it belongs to the paramyxovirus family. I know some persons will be surprised that it's a respiratory tract infection as we know it to be seen mostly on the skin but I'm happy you have gotten it now.

This infection is usually transmitted via airborne, droplets, body contacts etc and as is comes with various signs like the characteristic skin rash, coughing, running nose etc.

Characteristic rash in measles infection on a child

COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDREN

• Infection of the ear
• Pneumoniae
• Encephalitis which is simply the
inflammation of the brain.
• Death in extreme conditions.

Chart on the complications of measles

PREVENTION
This infection is usually prevented through through vaccination against the virus with the measles vaccine which is usually administered at the 9th month of the baby's life inorder to establish immunity against it.

Other diseases that are threatening to children which because of time I didn't discuss are: the * haemophilus influenza type B and the hepatitis B viral infection* and these two like I earlier stated are part of the diseases that are prevented through the administration of Pentavalent vaccine although the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine (HBV0)is administered at birth together with BCG and OPV0.

Apart from the above mentioned diseases and vaccination, there are some others too not among the 6 killer diseases that are also being vaccinated for.

Vaccination is crucial inorder to prevent the harm these diseases could have on children. I would also like to emphasize that some individuals could also not get immunity after Vaccination which could be due to some reasons like the vaccine losing its potency from poor or improper storage and preservation as well as wrong administration of the vaccine.

Ensure your child completes his or her schedule of immunization. Thanks a lot for your time and patience, I hope this post will be of great benefit to you and I also await your contributions as well as questions.

REFERENCE

• Vaccination

• Immunization mechanism

• Toxoid vaccines

• Types of vaccine

• Tuberculosis and complications

• Tetanus complications.

• Pertussis

• Measles