DIPHTHERIA often spreads through the air. Fever, throat discomfort, and neck swelling are the symptoms. Breathing difficulties may develop in severe situations. It can result in heart failure and paralysis days after the infection. The majority of reported cases of diphtheria worldwide are in India.
Whooping cough, also known as PERTUSSIS, is an airborne illness. Coughing follows, and it lasts for 4-6 weeks. Extreme coughing fits can make it difficult to breathe and to eat or drink. All age groups are susceptible, with very young newborns suffering the most severe effects. It may result in mortality, pneumonia, seizures, or brain damage.
Contaminated wounds can lead to TETANUS, which can also develop in a newborn after risky delivery procedures. It is commonly referred to as "lockjaw" because it produces excruciating muscular spasms and the difficulty to swallow.
The DPT vaccination guards against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis).
AVAILABILITY
DPT (Triple antigen), DPT/Hib (Quadrivalent), DPT/HBV/Hib (Pentavalent), and DPT/HBV/Hib/IPV (Hexavalent) are the combinations of these vaccinations that are available. Some vaccines intended for use in adults and children older than 7 years old combine a full dose of tetanus with a reduced dose of components for diphtheria and pertussis. These are, respectively, the Tdap and Td vaccines.
SCHEDULE OF DPT VACCINES
The hepatitis B vaccination can guard against the disease. Hepatitis B is a liver condition that can result in a short-lived, moderate sickness or a severe, chronic condition.
When blood, semen, or other bodily fluid containing the hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not afflicted, hepatitis B is transmitted. People may get an infection by:
The majority of persons who receive the hepatitis B vaccination are permanently immune.
The standard dosage for the hepatitis B vaccination is 2, 3, or 4.
The following individuals are also advised to have the hepatitis B vaccine:
Hepatitis B vaccine can be administered as a standalone injection or as a component of a combination vaccination, which is a form of vaccine that contains multiple shots of different vaccines.
The hepatitis B vaccination may be administered concurrently with other shots.
The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the virus that causes chickenpox, a particularly dangerous illness. It results in a rash that resembles blisters, itching, fatigue, and fever. In the past, chickenpox was quite prevalent in the India. About 4 million cases, 10,600 hospitalisations, and 100 to 150 fatalities each year were attributed to chickenpox.
About 90% of people may avoid getting chickenpox after receiving two doses of the vaccination. By being vaccinated, you defend both yourself and other members of your community. For individuals who cannot receive vaccinations, such as those with compromised immune systems or pregnant women, this is particularly crucial.
Even those who have had the chickenpox vaccination occasionally get the illness. But often, it is less severe, with fewer blisters and little to no fever. If you have concerns regarding the chickenpox vaccination, see a healthcare provider.
The CDC advises adults, adolescents, and children to receive two doses of the chickenpox vaccination. The vaccine should be administered to children twice, first between the ages of 4 and 6 years old and again between the ages of 12 and 15 months.
BCG TB Vaccine
A vaccination for tuberculosis (TB) is called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG). In the US, this vaccination is not frequently utilised. However, in other nations where TB is widespread, it is frequently administered to babies and young children. BCG does not always shield individuals from contracting TB.
Recommended by BCG
Only those who satisfy particular requirements and in consultation with a TB expert are given the option of receiving BCG in the United States. If medical professionals have any queries regarding BCG vaccination for their patients, they should contact their state's or region's TB control programme.
Children
Children who have had a negative TB test and are regularly exposed to germs should only be considered for the BCG vaccine if they cannot be segregated from adults who have the disease.
Health Professionals
Health care providers should be given the BCG vaccine individually in environments where
The dangers and advantages of both the BCG vaccine and the treatment of latent TB infection should be discussed with healthcare personnel who are considering becoming vaccinated against BCG.
TB Testing in BCG-Vaccinated Individuals
There are many Indians who were vaccinated against BCG who were born abroad.
A TB skin test may be administered to those who have already received the BCG vaccine to check for TB infection. A BCG vaccination may result in a positive TB skin test outcome. A BCG vaccine or an infection with the TB bacterium may be to blame for a positive result on a TB skin test.
Contrary to TB skin tests, TB blood tests (IGRAs) are unaffected by past BCG vaccination and are not anticipated to provide a false-positive result in BCG recipients.
The TB skin test is favoured over the TB blood test for children under the age of five.
Only the presence of the TB bacterium is revealed by a positive TB skin test or TB blood test. It cannot determine if a person has TB illness or a latent infection. To determine whether a person has TB illness, more tests are required, such as a chest x-ray and a sputum sample.
Today is designated as World Malaria Day. Every year on April 25, people throughout the world observe this day to appreciate the efforts being made to combat malaria. It is an opportunity to emphasise the requirement for ongoing financial support and political commitment to malaria prevention and control. During the 2007 World Health Assembly, WHO Member States established World Malaria Day. Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, innovate, implement is the theme for this year. The parasites that cause malaria infect female Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite humans to spread the disease. It may be avoided and treated. High fever, chills, headaches, and other flu-like symptoms are among the signs of malaria.
Between 2015 and 2022, India saw a fall in malaria cases of almost 85.1% and a reduction in fatalities of 83.36 %. According to Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister for Health, India was the only high-burden nation in Southeast Asia to record a decrease in malaria incidence in 2020 compared to 2019. This was mentioned by him yesterday in New Delhi during his virtual speech to the Asia Pacific Malaria Leaders Conclave 2023. According to Dr. Mandaviya, the nation is moving quickly towards its goal of eradicating malaria by 2030. Malaria, according to him, is not just a problem for public health, but also a social, economic, and political one that needs the support of all parties involved.
The Union Health Minister emphasised how India has become a global leader for its efforts to eradicate malaria. He continued by saying that the government's numerous health programmes, such as Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, have a significant positive impact on India's ability to battle disease. In keeping with India's G20 Presidency motto of "One Earth, One Family, One Future," the Minister also stated that New Delhi is dedicated to share its resources, expertise, and lessons learned with other nations in their effort to eradicate malaria.
Over the years, the polio virus has left millions of children globally paralysed. A virus that dwells in the digestive system and throat is what causes polio. It is mostly transferred through coming into touch with an infected person's faeces (for example, when changing diapers).
Some kids with polio have no symptoms at all. Others experience cold-like symptoms, which can occasionally include neck, back, and limb discomfort and stiffness. Yet some children who have acute muscular discomfort within a week may become paralysed, or lose the ability to move their muscles. The legs of a kid are most affected by paralysis, but other muscles, particularly those that regulate respiration, might also be affected.
Polio may be characterised as a spinal, bulbar, or spine-bulbar illness depending on the paralysis locations. Maximum paralysis progresses quickly (in 2-4 days), is frequently accompanied by muscular discomfort and fever, and seldom lasts after the patient's temperature has returned to normal.
Asymmetrical and more severe proximally than distally, spinal paralysis is common. There are no or fewer deep tendon reflexes. Respiration and swallowing can be hampered by bulbar paralysis.
In 2% to 10% of cases, paralytic polio is deadly. After the initial event, many individuals regain at least some muscular function, and within six months of the commencement of paralytic signs, the prognosis for recovery can typically be determined.
There is no cure for polio, and some kids lose their lives to it. Poliomyelitis typically takes 6 to 20 days to incubate, however it can take anywhere from 3 and 35 days.
Two different kinds of Polio vaccine are available:
Both vaccines are highly effective against all three types of poliovirus. There are, however, significant differences in the way each vaccine works.
• OPV, oral polio vaccine
The oral polio vaccination (OPV) has two main effects: All three poliovirus types are immuned against by serum antibodies that are produced by OPV. In the case of an infection, this will shield the person from polio paralysis by stopping the virus's progress to the neurological system. The lining (also known as the "mucous membrane") of the intestines, which serves as the main location for poliovirus proliferation, is also subject to a local immune response brought on by OPV. The antibodies restrict the 'wild' (naturally occurring) virus' ability to reproduce inside the stomach, effectively preventing infection. The primary factor behind why mass vaccination campaigns with OPV may effectively halt the spread of wild poliovirus from person to person is likely the gut immune response to OPV.
• INACTIVATED POLIO VACCINE (IPV)
The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which must be administered intravenously, prevents the transmission of the poliovirus to the central nervous system by generating defense-enhancing antibodies in the blood (serum immunity). However, it only significantly lowers local polivirus immunity in the gut. It thereby offers personal defence against polio paralysis but, unlike OPV, is unable to stop the transmission of wild polio virus.
Inactivated polio vaccine benefits
Since the polio virus has been rendered inactive, IPV is not a "live" vaccine and there is no chance of developing vaccine-associated polio paralysis after receiving the shot. Most IPV patients experience an excellent immunological response following their IPV vaccination.
SCHEDULE
AGE | VACCINES | NOTE |
BIRTH | OPV ZERO | |
6 WEEKS | OPV-1 + IPV-1 / OPV -1 | OPV alone if IPV cannot be given |
10 WEEKS | OPV-2 + IPV-2 / OPV-2 | OPV alone if IPV cannot be given |
14 WEEKS | OPV-3 + IPV-3 / OPV -3 | OPV alone if IPV cannot be given |
15-18 MONTHS | OPV-4 + IPV-B1 / OPV -4 | OPV alone if IPV cannot be given |
5 YEARS | OPV-5 |