Vaccination against hepatitis B for newborns: description, timing, adverse reactions, reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The list of diseases dangerous to the life of an infant is wide. In order to reduce the epidemiological threshold of diseases, the Ministry of He alth has drawn up and approved a mandatory vaccination schedule for children from 0 months of age. and older. This document assumes the implementation of mandatory vaccinations against infectious diseases. All parents who are responsible for the he alth of their children must immediately comply with the provisions of the document.

In the list of infectious diseases against which a child should be vaccinated in the first days of life, there is also hepatitis B. Vaccination of newborns as a protection against this disease causes bewilderment for many mothers. However, due to the fact that in the Russian Federation the level of infection with this disease is too high due to the widespread use of drug addiction, non-compliance by adults with elementary methods of protection against STDs, vaccination is undoubtedly necessary.

Risks of infant exposure to hepatitis B

Vaccinating children in infancy at timesreduces the risk of contracting an infection that affects the liver and ultimately leads to the death of the patient. Insidious hepatitis B can be asymptomatic, slowly destroying the human body. Experts equate the consequences of hepatitis B infection with HIV infection and AIDS. Parents are obliged to pay attention to these facts!

Is it justified to vaccinate babies?

Despite the mandatory vaccinations for children, not all parents resort to the advice of pediatricians and therapists and strive to meet the he alth requirements as much as possible. Many believe that hepatitis B vaccine is not necessary for newborns.

Whether parents are mistaken in this or not is a difficult question. But due to reasonable decisions, on average, over 50% of children in the country are vaccinated. The rest is at risk of being infected.

You need to understand that skepticism about the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns will not protect the child from contracting a dangerous infection:

• with possible contact with infection carriers;
• when visiting dental clinics afterwards;
• when visiting medical institutions and performing injections and other manipulations with medical instruments;
• when visiting social public institutions - kindergartens, catering establishments, schools.

Vaccination allows for several years to form a protective reaction of the body in children - to develop immunity. If infection occurs in vaccinated individuals, thenit passes without the risk of the transition of the disease into a chronic form. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider hepatitis B vaccination for newborns as justified.

The higher the number of vaccinated children, the less likely the infection to spread and affect he althy people. After all, dangerous diseases lead to disability and death in cases of severe course. Parents should not forget this when deciding whether or not to vaccinate their children.

Which vaccines are appropriate to protect against hepatitis B?

There are several types of vaccine used today for hepatitis B vaccinations. For a 100% result in protecting the child's body from infection, vaccination with one brand of the drug should be performed at all stages. Substitution is allowed, but only in cases where there is a negative reaction.

Here is a list of those vaccines that have been tested for safety include:

• Regevac is a domestically produced drug;
• Biovac - Indian production;
• Engerix B - deliveries from Belgium.

The above vaccines are recombinant yeast preparations. They do not contain harmful additional additives.

Vaccines require special storage conditions, so it is not always possible to get a free drug in children's clinics. In order to meet the vaccination schedule, parents can buy the vaccine themselves at the pharmacy. Regardless of the manufacturer, the cost of drugs is approximately the same and theirefficiency too.

At what age is the hepatitis B vaccine given?

If a hepatitis B vaccine is needed for newborns, when should the vaccine be given? This question is asked by many mothers. Children should be vaccinated according to the schedule of the Ministry of He alth on the first day of life, to be more precise - within 12 hours after birth. This is the first stage of vaccination.

If certain circumstances exist, vaccination may be delayed to a later age. These are the following criteria:

• preterm birth (premature baby);
• birth defects;
• low weight baby;
• infected baby - an infection transmitted during birth from mother to child;
• A mother is allergic to yeast, which can be inherited by the baby.

If the he alth of the baby allows you to vaccinate later - you need to do it.

Where is the vaccine given?

To dispel all the fears and doubts of parents, let's figure out where the hepatitis B vaccine is given to newborn children? The vaccine is given to children in the thigh - an intramuscular injection is the most effective.

Pay attention! If the injection is made in the buttock, the effect of the vaccine is reduced by 30%. It is in such situations that a negative reaction to the hepatitis B vaccine is often observed in newborns.

Effective Grafting Scheme

In order to vaccinate children against hepatitis B, specialists resort to two schemes. Firstit is advisable in a he althy environment of the baby - there are no infected close and distant relatives in the family who live with the child or in the vicinity, with whom there is frequent contact. Vaccination is carried out in three stages:

• first injection - within 12 hours of birth;
• second - when the baby is one month old;
• third - at the age of six months.

The second scheme concerns children whose parents have hepatitis B, or the child is at increased risk of infection through possible contact with sick relatives. It involves four steps:

• first injection - within 12 hours of birth;
• second - when the baby is one month old;
• third - at three months of age;
• fourth - in one year.

Vaccination has been valid for more than twenty years. However, according to the average data, the body's protection lasts eight years. After this period, an infection test is required.

In connection with the above, there are 2 questions that most often arise in young parents:

• How effective is a second hepatitis B vaccine for a newborn if it is given later than the established schedule?
• Is it advisable in this case to continue the subsequent stages of vaccination?

Specialists argue that all stages of the process must be completed, despite the violation of deadlines. The effectiveness of vaccinations is maintained if the time period between injections does not exceed six months.

Possible reactions aftervaccine administration

The hepatitis B vaccine given to newborns can cause the following local reactions, which indicate the natural process of "acquaintance" of the child's body with the new virus:

• redness of the skin around the injection site;
• seal at the injection site;
• pain at the injection site when moving;
• in rare cases - fever;
• baby moodiness;
• intestinal upset.

All these phenomena are temporary - after one and a half to two weeks, the baby's he alth returns to normal.

Who should not be vaccinated against hepatitis B?

Due to the fact that the reaction to hepatitis B vaccination for newborns can be ambiguous, there are a number of contraindications for its implementation. They must be taken into account before vaccination at all its stages. An examination by a specialist before each injection is a must.

Contraindications are as follows:

• disease acute respiratory infection;
• influenza;
• presence of complex chronic and congenital diseases;
• complications after the first stage of vaccination.

Complications

What are the consequences of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns? Adverse reactions from the introduction of the vaccine are extremely rare, but they do occur. These include:

• a strong allergic reaction of the child's body to the vaccine - anaphylactic shock;
• appearanceurticaria-like rash all over body;
• skin disease - erythema nodosum;
• disruption of the functioning of the digestive system;
• redness of the skin around the injection site more than 80 mm in diameter;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Complications are possible if specialists, before administering the drug, in bad faith examined the baby, did not take into account the presence of existing diseases and did not compare the risks of possible reactions to the vaccine.

Only a family doctor can accurately predict the response to vaccination. Unfortunately, not all citizens of the country can use such services today. Therefore, when examining a child in polyclinics, parents should also take part in making a decision on the advisability of performing an injection. Do not hide information about the baby's diseases and condition from a pediatrician or therapist for two weeks before vaccination.

Today there is a lot of information about the side effects of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. In order to reduce the number of children who have to face a similar problem, after examining babies, many experts recommend vaccinating babies not immediately after birth, but after a few months. This option is possible and widely practiced.

What to do when a newborn is vaccinated against hepatitis B and the side effects are pronounced? In this situation, only specialists can help stabilize the baby's condition. Therefore, the call for an ambulance cannot be postponed. Parents often have to deal with a steady increase in body temperature.

Parents' feedback on the effectiveness of vaccinations

Despite the controversial benefits of vaccination, doctors recommend vaccination against hepatitis B in newborns. Reviews of specialists are more optimistic compared to the opinion of the parents themselves.

Today, the decision to vaccinate is complicated by the spread of information about low-quality vaccines, fakes, and severe complications. But in most cases, it is not supported by evidence. The state of the child does not depend on human gossip. But at the same time, trusting the he alth of your baby to any doctor is also unsafe. What to do?

In order to ensure a he althy future, one should visit specialized clinics, it is advisable to be observed by one pediatrician who keeps a history of the development of the child and his state of he alth.

For a general overview of the results of hepatitis B vaccination, many parents share their experiences. For some, it is successful and they do not associate children's he alth problems with vaccinations. But for others, vaccination becomes a nightmare. But is it true?

In matters of vaccination, you should still be guided by the recommendations of medical staff. The procedure is aimed primarily at protecting children from especially dangerous infectious diseases. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, what is the reaction to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns? - reviews,especially unverified, cannot replace the opinion of a specialist in these matters.

Summarize

Vaccination in our country is voluntary. According to the results of statistical studies, the number of vaccinated people is decreasing every year, which leads to strong outbreaks of infectious diseases and a high mortality rate. We are talking about hepatitis B diseases.

Vaccination is less expensive than treating the disease itself!

• Hepatitis therapy can last more than four months, given the correct prescription of drugs.
• Recovery takes several years.
• The risk of the disease becoming chronic is over 20%.

The effects of hepatitis include:

• cirrhosis of the liver;
• liver cancer;
• carrying the virus;
• glomerulonephritis;
• cryoglobulinemia.

When choosing between avoiding vaccinations and getting vaccinated, consider criteria such as:

• hereditary factor;
• congenital pathologies;
• social living conditions;
• closest environment;
• age category of persons to be vaccinated;
• frequency of respiratory diseases.

If there is an opportunity to protect your child from he alth problems, do not refuse it. Moreover, it is possible to vaccinate not in the first days after birth. Stick to the approximate established vaccination schedule and your children will not be afraid of hepatitis.

Formed immunity -guarantee of the he alth of the younger generation! Don't give the infection a chance to consume humanity!

We hope that the article fully answered the question of why babies need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, and will be useful for young parents who doubt their rightness about vaccinations.