During the last two months, the Ecuadorian government has promoted a great campaign that seeks to resume vaccination in children. The campaign mainly focused on preventing polio, measles and rubella. However, these are not the only vaccines available and the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for encourage and enhance immunization.
According to the organization, effective immunization is “one of the most effective public health interventions.” Following the covid-19 pandemic, the essential levels of vaccination were reduced in more than 100 countries, thus causing an increase in disease outbreaks.
In 2021, more than 25 million children did not receive even one vaccine. Since then, says the WHO, there have been increasingly severe and frequent outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever.
Below we will tell you why vaccination in children is important, what diseases they prevent, and what is the scheme that must be followed in Ecuador.
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What is vaccination?
The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that vaccination is a simple, safe and effective way to protect people against some diseases. Vaccines generally use the natural defenses of the body to develop resistance to specific infections. They also strengthen the immune system.
According to the WHO, las Vaccines train the immune system so that it creates antibodies, just like it does when there is a common disease. Antibodies are proteins naturally produced by this system to fight disease. If in the future, the person is exposed to a virus or bacteria for which he has already been vaccinated, his immune system can quickly destroy it before he feels sick.
In addition, the effect is prolonged. The World Health Organization explains that the immune system is designed to remember. So when you have one or more doses of a vaccine, people can remain “protected against a disease for years, decades, or even a lifetime.” This, the organization says, is what makes “vaccines so effective”: they are safe ways to produce a response immune in the body, without causing disease.
Why is vaccination important?
Los Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that timely vaccination in childhood “is critical because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to diseases that could be fatal«.
Fernando Aguinaga, a pediatrician and director of the postgraduate course in pediatrics at the International University of Ecuador, says that vaccination of children is important because it allows prevent serious diseases and “save many lives”.
The lack of vaccination in children, explains Aguinaga, “puts the child and the children who are in the same environment at risk.” The pediatrician says that this can happen because there are always those who may have higher risk factors, such as neurological problems, nervous system disorders, or rare diseases«. If children with these pathologies get a serious disease because they are not vaccinated, the expert says that the consequences “could be fatal.”
In addition, the lack of vaccination is related to chronic child malnutrition. Dr. Aguinaga explains that these are also “signs that we still need to work as an Ecuadorian State, seeking the best quality of life for our children.” Aguinaga says that “having a good nutritional status and having high vaccination standards guarantee that our children will be healthier and have a better chance of getting ahead«.
What diseases do vaccines prevent?
Pediatrician Fernando Aguinaga assures that there are many diseases that can be prevented with vaccination in children. However, some of the most prominent are: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, rotavirus, polio, measles and rubella.
Aguinaga says that if children catch any of these diseases, the consequences can be very serious. In some cases, such as rotavirus, pneumococcus, and Hib (or Haemophilus influenzae type b), the disease can become fatal.
Vaccination scheme in Ecuador
The WHO says that vaccination schemes they are different all over the world. However, there is a vaccination list that most governments and doctors recommend to keep children and the rest of the population safe. These vaccines are:
BCG, which prevents tuberculosis. Hep B, which prevents hepatitis B. Polio, which protects from poliovirus. DTP, which helps protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. Hib, which prevents Haemophilus influenzae type B. Pneumococcal, which protects against pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis. Rotavirus, which prevents the disease of the same name. MMR, which helps prevent measles, mumps, and rubella. HPV, which contributes to the prevention of human papillomavirus.
Although these are the recommended basic vaccinations, Ecuador has its own scheme. This is:
Vaccination scheme for children in Ecuador. Table designed by the MSP.
Pediatrician Fernando Aguinaga says that the private health system offers two more vaccines: Hepatitis A y Meningitis. However, since they are only available privately, they are no longer free to access. Aguinaga says that the Ministry of Public Health should work so that at some point, these two vaccines are also offered in the public system.
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Is there a relationship between Guillain-Barré syndrome and covid-19 vaccines? An expert explains it 👉 pic.twitter.com/sWNt7TvT5h
— Teleamazonas (@teleamazonasec) July 13, 2023
2023-07-21 16:29:21
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