The last week of April (24th to
30th) is observed as the World Immunization Week every year. The focus
is on informing individuals about the use of vaccines and the role they play in
fighting against diseases at different ages. So, we chose this week to answer these
10 frequently asked questions about vaccination.
What is vaccination?
Vaccination is a simple, safe,
and effective way of protecting ourselves against harmful diseases. It uses our
bodyâs natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections, making our
immune system stronger.
Vaccines train the immune system
to produce antibodies just as it does when exposed to a particular disease.
However, vaccines only contain weakened or killed forms of germs like bacteria
or virus so, they do not cause the disease or put you at risk of its
complications.
Most vaccines are injected but
some are sprayed into the nose or administered orally.
Why Vaccinate?
On-time vaccination throughout
childhood is essential because it boosts immunity before children are exposed
to life-threatening diseases. Vaccines are thoroughly tested to ensure that
they are safe and effective for children at the recommended ages.
How does a vaccine work?
Vaccines reduce the risks of
getting a disease by working with the bodyâs natural defenses to build
protection. Thus, after you get vaccinated, your immune system starts
responding by:
Recognizing the invading germs, such as virus or
bacteria
Producing antibodies
(Antibodies are
proteins naturally produced by our immune system to fight diseases.)
Remembering the disease and how to fight against
it. If you are exposed to the germ again in the future, your immune system becomes
capable of quickly destroying it before you fall ill
The vaccine is, therefore, a
safer way of building an immune response in our bodies without causing illness.
Once exposed to one or more doses
of a vaccine, we tend to remain protected against a disease for years, decades,
or even a lifetime. This is what makes vaccines so effective. Rather than
treating diseases after those occur, vaccines prevent us from falling ill in
the first instance.
What is in a vaccine?
All the ingredients of a vaccine
play an important role in ensuring a vaccine is safe and effective. Some of
these include:
The antigen â a killed or weakened form of a
virus or bacteria that trains our bodies to recognize and fight diseases if we
encounter those in the future
Adjuvants that help boost immune responses
Preservatives to ensure that a vaccine stays
effective for the desired period
Stabilizers that protect vaccines during storage
and transportation
Vaccine ingredients may look
unfamiliar when listed on the labels. Many of the components used occur in the
environment, in our bodies, and in the food we eat. All the ingredients in
vaccines â as well as the vaccines themselves – are thoroughly tested and
monitored to ensure they are safe.
Why should I get my child vaccinated?
Without vaccines, we are at risk
of serious illness and disabilities from diseases, such as meningitis,
pneumonia, and tetanus. Many of these diseases can be life-threatening. WHO
estimates that vaccines save about 3 million lives annually.
Although some diseases may have
become uncommon, the germs causing them continue to circulate in all or some
parts of the world. In todayâs world, infectious diseases can easily cross
borders, and infect anyone who is not protected.
Two key reasons to get vaccinated
are as follows:
To protect ourselves and
To protect those around
Because not everyone can be
vaccinated â including infants, particularly those who suffer from certain
allergies or are seriously ill â depend on others around them being vaccinated
to ensure they are safe from vaccine-preventable diseases.
What are the diseases vaccines can prevent?
Parents can protect their
children from these 14 vaccine-preventable diseases before they are two years
old:
Diphtheria
Hemophilus
influenzae type b (Hib)
Hepatitis
A
Hepatitis
B
Influenza
(flu)
Measles
Mumps
Pertussis
(Whooping cough)
Pneumococcal
disease
Polio
Rubella
(German measles)
Tetanus
(lockjaw)
Rotavirus
Varicella
(chickenpox)
When should I vaccinate my child?
Vaccines protect us throughout
life â from birth to childhood, as teenagers and into old age. Most countries provide
their citizens with a vaccination card, mentioning the vaccines you/your child
have had and when the next vaccines are due. It is essential to ensure that
these vaccines are up to date.
Delaying vaccination increases
the risks of falling sick. If we wait until we think we may be exposed to a
serious illness â for instance, during a pandemic outbreak â there may not be
enough time for the vaccine to work or receive the recommended doses.
Are there side effects from vaccines?
Like medicines, vaccines too may
cause mild side effects, such as a low-grade fever, redness, or pain at the
injection site. Mild reactions usually go away on their own within a few days.
Severe, long-lasting side effects are rare. Vaccines are continually monitored to
detect rare adverse events.
Can a child be given more than one vaccine at a time?
Studies show that administering
several vaccines at the same time usually has no negative effect. Children are
exposed to several foreign substances that trigger an immune response daily.
The simple act of eating introduces new germs into a childâs body and numerous
bacteria live in the mouth and nose. Administering a combined vaccination (e.g. for
pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria) indicates fewer injections and reduced
discomfort for the child.
I still have questions about vaccination. What should I do?
If you still have questions about
vaccines, talk to your healthcare worker. He/she can provide you with evidence-based
advice about vaccination for you and your children, including the recommended
vaccination schedule prevalent in your country.
When looking online for
information regarding vaccination, consult reliable sources. WHO has reviewed
and certified several websites that provide information based on trustworthy
scientific evidence and independent reviews by experts. All these websites are
members of the Vaccine Safety Net.
Vaccines are one of the greatest inventions of mankind – yet there is a lot of misinformation regarding the same. Here are the facts behind some common vaccine myths.
Nothing concerns you more than the safety of your child â and getting them vaccinated on time will help in protecting her or him against various diseases.
A new pneumonia-like virus, first identified in Wuhan, China, is
putting people all over the world on edge. Most of the confirmed cases are from
China but the virus has since spread to other parts of the world, including
Europe, Australia, and India. At this writing, over 2,000 new cases have been
recorded in China over the past 24 hours, raising the worldwide total to nearly
9,800, according to World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese data. India reported the
first positive case of novel coronavirus on Thursday (30 January 2020). The
patient is a student at Wuhan University and is now in isolation in a hospital
in Kerala.
With information about the new virus changing quickly and news
reports about the illness seeming to raise the stakes, you must be wondering
how worried you should be. Hereâs what we know about the virus so far and what
it means for you.
What is the coronavirus?
The new virus, identified by scientists as 2019-nCoV, is a
coronavirus, belonging to a family of viruses, including common cold and more
serious diseases like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). It is not clear
how deadly the new virus is. Although, severe cases can cause pneumonia or even
death, there are cases of milder ones going undetected.
What are the common symptoms of coronavirus?
Per the CDC, people whoâve had confirmed cases of novel coronavirus usually experience the following symptoms:
Fever
Shortness of breath
Cough
Symptoms can appear within two days to two weeks after an
individual has been exposed, and they range from mild illness to severe cases.
However, the elderly, very young, pregnant women, or people with a weak immune
system may develop a more serious infection, such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
How is it treated?
Scientists are continuously researching the virus. As of yet,
there are no approved antivirals for the coronavirus. For patients suffering
from the illness, extensive, specialized care in an intensive care unit (ICU)
may be lifesaving.
Can pets at home spread the coronavirus?
Thereâs no evidence so far that pets are infected with the coronavirus.
However, itâs a good practice to wash hands after contact with pets. This protects
us against common bacteria like E.coli that can easily be transmitted from pets
to humans.
Are antibiotics effective in preventing/treating the coronavirus?
No, antibiotics cannot provide protection against viruses. They
can fight bacteria. The new coronavirus is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics cannot
offer prevention nor be used as part of treatment. However, if hospitalized,
you may be given antibiotics to prevent bacterial co-infection.
Iâm pregnant. Should I be concerned?
According to infectious disease
specialists, during pregnancy, parts of the immune system are depressed, making
you more susceptible to virus-related complications such as chickenpox and influenza.
For instance, pregnant women are almost 3.5 times more likely to end up in the
hospital from the flu compared to women who are not expecting, according to research
published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in June 2019. In the case of
coronavirus, a pregnant woman tends to be at a higher risk of complications than
a non-pregnant one.
Are there any steps parents need to take at this point?
Experts are
still unclear on how exactly the virus is transmitted. But at this point, you
should take steps youâd otherwise have taken to protect yourself and your children
from common flu. Encourage kids to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly
with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Hands should be washed before eating
food, after using the washroom, after coming home from outdoors or touching
something dirty like garbage. If you see someone coughing or sneezing, keep
your children away from them. Respiratory secretions from coronaviruses cannot
travel more than six feet. While you may see people in Wuhan wearing surgical
masks outdoors, it is not mandatory to make your kid wear one right now.
Other than these, you can
also undertake the following measures suggested by WHO:
Seek medical care and share travel history with the healthcare provider if you have cough, fever, and difficulty breathing
Avoid unprotected contact with animals and those surfaces that are in contact with animals when visiting areas experiencing cases of coronavirus
Donât consume raw or under-cooked animal products
Handle milk, raw meat, or animal organs carefully
Given the pace of international travel, the number of people suffering from the originating illness is likely to increase. Wuhan has been put to virtual quarantine to prevent further spread of coronavirus. Foreign governments are advising against non-essential travel to China. Citizens are being flown out of the country at the same time. As more information about the virus becomes available, public health organizations like WHO and CDC will share insights and other valuable information worldwide.
During pregnancy, some women may be at risk of gestational diabetes. The condition raises blood sugar levels, possibly leading to certain complications.
Male infertility is a term generally used by doctors
if a man hasn’t been able to get a woman pregnant after at least one year of
trying. Male infertility is a result of low sperm production, abnormal sperm
function, or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. The causes can be
classified into the following categories:
Absence of sperm in the semen possibly due to a
blockage
Low sperm count, poor sperm quality, and/or
abnormal sperm shape and movement
Sperm unable to penetrate through the outer
layer of the egg or produce anti-sperm antibodies
Immunological or genetic disorders
Several treatments are available for improving
the chances of conception in men suffering from infertility. These usually
include intrauterine insemination (IUI), donor insemination (DI), intracytoplasmic
sperm injection (ICSI), and testicular sperm retrieval (TESA). Intracytoplasmic
sperm injection (ICSI) allows the egg and the sperm to be brought together
directly, facilitating fertilisation. A sperm that has low motility or poor
morphology is likely to have a greater possibility of achieving this through ICSI.
Generally, 15 million or 1.5 crores per millilitre
is considered to be the normal sperm count. Below 10 million per millilitre is
considered poor. Movement is rated from 0-4 and a score of 4 is considered to
be good. The size and shape of the sperm can affect the ability of sperms to fertilize
an egg. 40% is considered normal. Fertility treatment is required if tests show
that sperm count, motility, or shape has dropped beyond the abovementioned
counts.
A sperm count of 80 lakhs to 1 crores, motility
of 30%, and 4% normal form are considered to be the threshold to undergo Intrauterine
Insemination (IUI). However, if the sperm count, motility, and forms drop
further, then intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) remains the only option.
It may so happen that a man may have sufficient sperm count but not enough
amount of mature sperms. In such cases, testicular sperm retrieval (TESA) is
first used to retrieve a small amount of testis tissue to recover sperm
followed by ICSI, injecting the sperm directly inside the egg.
In the year 1978, Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay
created the world’s second and India’s first test-tube baby. During 1981-86,
along with Dr. Baidyanath Chakrabarti gave birth to the second test-tube baby
using IVF. And in March 1995, under the sole stewardship of Dr. Sudarsan Ghosh
Dastidar, the first ICSI baby was delivered.
Lung cancer is no longer a smoker’s disease. Passive smoking, air pollution & other factors are to blame for the increasing number of cases in non-smokers.
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