Vaccination – A Proactive Step Towards Health Prevention
Vaccination is a proactive approach towards health prevention. It enhances the body’s immune power to fight against a particular disease. A vaccine contains an agent which is similar to the actual disease causing micro-organism which stimulates the immune system of the body to recognize the agent and remember it for future so that, if any such agent enters into the body, then the immune system is aware of it and is ready to fight with it and provides immunity against the disease caused by that micro-organism. This is the reason why vaccination has been regarded as a proactive step towards health prevention.
With the advancement in medical science, scientists have been able to develop medicines and vaccinations for numerous diseases which were usually death causing in early times. This has led to an alarming decrease in death rate which is why it is regarded as one of the greatest invention of the present era.
There are several vaccinations available for bacterial as well as viral diseases which must be given at different stages of growth and it is very important for the parents to be aware of all such vaccines which should be given to their children at different phases of life. Out of these vaccines, some are mandatory and some are optional. But, care must be taken that the mandatory vaccines are given on time and any of its dose should not be skipped.
Various Types Of Vaccinations:
- Hepatitis A:
It is a viral infection which is often caused due to contaminated water or food or even through a direct contact with some infected person. Its symptoms include mild flu.
Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for all the children between 12 to 23 years of age. It includes two doses which must be six months apart.
- Hepatitis B:
It is also a viral infection which results in the inflammation of the liver. Its symptoms may take some time to appear even 6 months after infection. Initial symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, fever, joint and muscle pain. It can be given to children after one or two days of birth or even at some later stage of life. It includes three doses which are to be given as prescribed by the doctor.
It was used to be common illness before its vaccine was developed. It is highly infectious and can be serious as well. Its symptoms include rashes, fever, cough, cold, infections in lungs, middle ear or it may even affect nervous system. While you can vaccinate your child for measles, doctors recommend getting your child vaccinated with a combined vaccine known as MMR which protects your child against Measles, Mumps and Rubella.
Its first dose is to be given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose is to be given between 4 to 6 years of age.
Chickenpox is highly communicable disease caused due to varicella zoster virus (VZV). It causes severe fever, throat irritation, blisters and itchy rashes. It easily spreads if someone comes in contact with the infected person. The vaccine which protects against chicken pox is Varicella.
Varicella should be injected to the children at the age of 12 to 15 months and its second dose must be given in between the age of 4 to 6 years.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection which mainly affects lungs. It is a communicable disease and spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes nearby. Its symptoms include chest pain, access coughing often accompanied with blood and weight loss. BCG vaccine can be injected to fight against tuberculosis.
Typhoid is also a bacterial disease which spreads with the intake of food or water contaminated by traits or urine of some infected individual. Its symptoms include high fever, constipation, diarrhoea and headache. Typhoid vaccine can be taken to fight against typhoid.