Diphtheria vaccination: features, contraindications, side effects. Is vaccination against diphtheria mandatory? For how long is it given against diphtheria?

“Hangman’s noose”, “malignant tonsillitis”, “deadly pharyngeal ulcer” - such terrible names were given back in ancient times to this disease, which destroyed millions of lives over several millennia. Now we are reliably protected: a timely vaccination against diphtheria reduces the chances of getting sick to a minimum. Even if a vaccinated child or adult does become infected, the disease is milder and does not end tragically.

What kind of disease is this?

Diphtheria is caused by bacteria - some strains of the bacillus of the same name, which secrete a powerful poison - diphtheria endotoxin, which in its aggressiveness and danger surpasses even botulinum and tetanus toxins, which are considered extremely poisonous.

You can become infected from people who are already sick and from carriers who secrete the bacillus through the nasopharynx. Carriers are even more dangerous than patients, because they outwardly look completely healthy and there are always many more of them: diphtheria bacteria carriage is registered in 10-30 percent of people living around us.

Despite its high contagiousness, the disease is well controlled: vaccination against diphtheria for several years helps the body produce antibodies and form lasting immunity.

Salvation is in vaccination

The only way to avoid an epidemic is to carry out total immunization of children and adults, covering at least 95 percent of the population. For this purpose, the diphtheria vaccine DTP and ADS-M is used.

DPT is used to vaccinate children; DPT-M is administered during routine revaccination - a repeat cycle of vaccinations at 6, 11 and 16 years of age. It is also injected into adults.

The DPT vaccine is a combination of killed whooping cough microbes and two toxoids - tetanus and diphtheria. Now domestic medicine is increasingly switching from it to Pentaxim and Infanrix - more effective modern analogues.

ADS-M – combination drug from purified diphtheria and tetanus toxoids with reduced content. It is used not only for revaccination, but also for vaccination - in cases where the patient cannot tolerate the pertussis component DTP vaccinations.

Important! All diphtheria vaccines undergo strict sanitary control at manufacturing plants and are quite suitable for vaccination campaigns: there is no need to be afraid of them.

How children are vaccinated

Immunization of children is carried out in several stages and includes the actual vaccination and several revaccinations to maintain immunity to infection.

Vaccination

The first vaccination against diphtheria is given to children at three months, and immunization is carried out in three stages with an interval of 30-45 days.

Revaccination of children who have not been ill or who have been ill

As mentioned above, revaccination begins 9-12 months after the full course of immunization, then at 7, 11 and 16 years old in the usual manner, if the child has not had diphtheria during this time.

If infection does occur and the disease proceeds without complications, additional vaccination against diphtheria is not required. The situation is different with vaccinated children who have suffered toxic forms of the disease. They receive additional vaccination six months after recovery - they are administered the drug ADS-M at a dose of 0.5 once. Further revaccinations are recommended according to age and national calendar.

If the child is unvaccinated and gets sick

In unvaccinated children, an attack of diphtheria infection of any form is considered the first vaccination, since those who have recovered develop stable natural immunity to the pathogen. If before the illness the child managed to receive only one vaccination, then the illness is considered a second vaccination.

How adults are vaccinated

There is no special vaccination schedule for diphtheria for adults, but the entire adult population of the country must be vaccinated every five years until the age of fifty-six. Invitations for immunization can be obtained from your local physician.

Adults are vaccinated with ADS-M. If they get sick between vaccinations mild form diphtheria, they are not prescribed additional diphtheria vaccination.

The exception is for those who have recovered from toxic forms: they, like children, six months after recovery are prescribed another vaccination at a dose of 0.5, and they skip the next campaign. They receive a new vaccination every 10 years.

Important! Exists separate group adults, who should be vaccinated necessarily and regularly. These are employees in the fields of education, medicine and services. The vaccination record is entered in their medical records.

Due to increased migration within the country and long-term evasion of vaccination by a large part of the population, a significant number of people with an unknown vaccination history have appeared. Before directing them directly to vaccination against diphtheria, first serological test blood for antitoxic antibodies. If the results do not determine sufficient protective titers, such people are immunized.

How vaccination affects the body: possible reactions and complications

Reactions

The formation of post-vaccination immunity is always accompanied by certain physiological reactions, the intensity of which ranges from almost imperceptible to very violent.

Important! Timing is important here: signs of illness after diphtheria vaccination appear in the first 12 hours, at the latest within two days.

Children and adults can celebrate:

• Rising temperature and chills, when the numbers on the thermometer can show from 37.0 to 38-38.5 degrees
• Feelings of rawness and pain in the nasopharynx and throat
• Slightly swollen and reddened tonsils
• Redness at the injection site

The picture resembles a mild form of the disease - and this is absolutely normal: the purpose of vaccination against diphtheria is precisely to cause a “mini-disease”, which the body will quickly cope with and form specific immunity for several years.

Sometimes the reaction to a vaccine coincides with the onset of other infectious diseases - influenza, ARVI or sore throat. This misleads people who are ignorant of medicine and they complain to the therapist that they fell ill just after being vaccinated against diphtheria, and before that they felt quite normal.

This coincidence can be explained by the fact that any infectious disease has its own incubation and prodromal periods, when a person is actually sick, but this does not yet affect the condition. We don’t like to be examined before vaccination, which is why such problems arise.

Complications

The received diphtheria vaccine sometimes ends in complications. Why does this happen? There may be several reasons: accidental infection at the injection site at home, administration of a larger dose of the drug than required, violation of vaccine storage rules. Personal intolerance to the components of the vaccine is also possible.

Complications include the following:

• Formation of extensive dense redness around the injection site with a diameter of 50 mm or more
• The appearance of infiltrates in it
• Anaphylactic shock
• Quincke's edema
• Convulsions due to high fever
• In infants - in episodes of high-pitched screaming

To prevent the development of fulminant allergies, newly vaccinated people are under medical supervision for at least half an hour after the injection.

When to delay or even refuse vaccination

Temporary contraindications

Vaccination will have to be rescheduled if your baby has:

• Any acute infectious diseases at the time of invitation for vaccination
• Exacerbation phase of chronic, systemic and autoimmune diseases

A child who has recovered from a mild cold can be vaccinated within two weeks. For chronic diseases, you must first achieve a stable remission lasting at least a month, and then vaccinate against diphtheria.

Absolute contraindications

The local pediatrician and specialized specialists give a complete ban on vaccination to children who are diagnosed with:

• Progressive diseases of the central nervous system
• Encephalitis
• Malignant oncopathologies of hematopoietic organs, liver, kidneys, brain
• Convulsive syndrome
• Serum sickness
• Previously reported cases of anaphylactic shock, angioedema, urticaria

Since injections are made with drugs with a reduced content of toxoid and have a gentler effect on the body, there are no significant restrictions on their use.

The only exceptions are decompensated forms chronic diseases not responding to treatment:

• Diabetes
• Neurological pathologies – myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis
• Systemic diseases

Vaccination against diphtheria during revaccination is indicated for patients with any form of immunodeficiency. Allergy sufferers can also be vaccinated against the background of desensitizing therapy.

Is it necessary to get vaccinated at all?

Fear of severe complications after diphtheria vaccination is the main reason for refusal of vaccination and revaccination. Fear is fueled by publications in the media, stories from friends, relatives and even doctors about tragedies that play out in the treatment rooms of clinics.

One could agree with all this: why risk your own life or the lives of your children if the likelihood of getting sick is very low? However, epidemiologists have long been sounding the alarm about the gradual deterioration of the epidemiological situation regarding diphtheria and other serious infections. This means that the risk of getting sick is constantly growing.

Important! It is worth understanding that absolutely any medical intervention is always a risk.

We do not refuse to treat our teeth, we are happy to sign up for peeling sessions in beauty salons, and without hesitation we buy and take antibiotics if we get pneumonia or a sore throat. All of the above - common reason the development of no less severe allergies and complications, however, only diphtheria vaccinations for children, adolescents and adults and other types of vaccination meet such obstruction.

Finally, a few tips for those who are determined not to tempt fate and get vaccinated:

• Take the time to consult with a therapist and specialized specialists
• If you are chronically ill, get a good examination to evaluate the course of the disease
• If you are healthy, take at least the simplest tests: a blood picture will show whether a cold is approaching and whether a scheduled injection of a diphtheria vaccine will harm you
• Don't be afraid of anything!

A positive attitude, confidence that you are doing everything right and treating yourself and others responsibly will help you cope with fear and protect your health.

Forms of the disease

The infection forms inflammatory lesions on the mucous membranes of the oropharynx, larynx, nose, bronchi, trachea, eyes, skin and very rarely – genitals.

Depending on the location of the foci, the forms of the disease are:

In the oropharynx:

• Localized - catarrhal, membranous and island
• Common
• Toxic
• Hypertoxic

In the larynx and trachea:

• Diphtheria croup – localized, widespread and descending

Rare localizations:

• Diphtheria damage to the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, genitals

Sometimes several foci of infection and inflammation form at once: then they speak of a combined type of disease.

Localized form

The most common variant of the disease: approximately 90 percent of those who become ill have mucous membranes of this particular section as the entry point for infection.

The course of diphtheria in this case resembles the symptoms of a sore throat. Patients complain of:

• Temperature of 38-38.5 degrees
• Weakness, thirst
• Sore or dull pain in the throat

Upon examination, the doctor notes an increase in heart rate (tachycardia), an increase in regional lymph nodes and characteristic changes in the mucous membranes of the pharynx and tonsils:

• Faint redness
• Swelling of the tonsils and soft palate
• Plaque on tonsils

The plaque gradually changes its color and consistency: on the first day it looks like a whitish jelly, after a day the jelly resembles a cobweb, and after another two days a dense grayish coating forms on the tonsils. It is not easy to remove it with a spatula: it comes off with difficulty, and the tonsils begin to bleed.

However, typical diphtheria plaque has rarely been observed recently. In most patients, its consistency is softer, it is easily removed with a spatula, and the mucous membranes of the tonsils do not bleed. The plaque persists for about a week after other symptoms have subsided.

Important! without treatment, localized diphtheria takes a more severe course, moving to other parts of the respiratory system!

Catarrhal form

The easiest flow option. It occurs in children and adults who have received at least one diphtheria vaccination in a timely manner and have managed to develop immunity. The set of symptoms here is minimal and more reminiscent of those usually observed with ARVI or catarrhal tonsillitis:

• Normal or slightly elevated temperature
• Swelling and slight redness of the tonsils, rawness and pain when swallowing
• No raid

The diagnosis in such cases is made based on the results of an oropharyngeal smear. The doctor must suspect diphtheria, taking into account the unfavorable surrounding epidemiological situation - already confirmed cases of the disease in his area.

In the widespread form, the inflammatory process extends beyond the tonsils, which is accompanied by more pronounced symptoms than in the localized form.

In a benign course, recovered patients develop antitoxic immunity, which, however, does not guarantee against re-infection.

Toxic form

Toxic forms of diphtheria arise as a variant of the further development of localized diphtheria or immediately, and in the last decade they cannot be called rare: toxic variants are observed in approximately 20 percent of patients. This can be explained by the weakening of collective immunity due to the growing number of opponents of vaccination and significant population migration.

The symptoms here are severe:

• Rapid rise in temperature to 39-41 degrees
• Intoxication
• Significant enlargement of the lymph nodes, their pain and density, swelling of the subcutaneous tissue above them
• Swelling of the tonsils, plaque on them, which lasts up to two weeks after recovery
• Severe pain when swallowing
• Trismus of masticatory muscles
• Mental changes – excitement, euphoria, delirium

Hypertoxic form

Hypertoxic diphtheria occurs in an even more severe form with all the listed symptoms, as well as encephalopathy, deterioration of hemodynamics, and further development of fatal DIC syndrome. This variant of the disease occurs in patients with alcoholism, diabetes, and chronic hepatitis. These people are very weakened, but they often skip the diphtheria vaccination, thereby exposing themselves to great danger.

Diphtheria croup at the very beginning is characterized by attacks of a rough barking cough, hoarseness of voice or transient aphonia, then they are joined by symptoms of stetonia:

• Aphonia, silent cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Cyanosis
• Tachycardia

Important! stetonic phenomena are undoubted indications for tracheostomy surgery: only dissection of the trachea with the creation of a temporary channel for air to enter the lungs can save the patient from asphyxia.

The final stage of diphtheria croup is asphyxial. It can occur with lightning speed - in a matter of hours, but more often it lasts up to three days. Breathing is characterized by shallowness and high frequency, the pulse gradually weakens, pressure drops, and cyanosis increases. After some time, a person dies from suffocation - that’s why ancient doctors called diphtheria the hangman’s noose.

As can be seen from the description of the symptoms, this is a very serious disease, so it is hardly worth tempting fate: several diphtheria vaccinations received throughout life remove all possible risks.

Thanks to the German scientist Emil Behring, a vaccine against diphtheria was created in 1913. And in 1974, WHO launched the Expanded Program on Population Immunization. As a result of the massive use of vaccines, the incidence of this infection was reduced by 90%. In the 90s, due to the collapse of the health service and low vaccination coverage, an epidemic occurred in Russia and the former CIS countries. The sick numbered in the thousands. There were also many deaths. Fortunately, the outbreak was eliminated.

Currently the situation has stabilized. Today the expression is relevant: “Diphtheria is a forgotten but not disappeared disease.” There is no need to lose vigilance; the disease has not been completely eradicated, and cases of the disease do occur, although not so often.

So, let's remember what diphtheria is.

Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Loeffler's bacillus (named after the scientist who discovered it). It is transmitted by airborne droplets; contact and food transmission cannot be excluded.

The following human organs are affected: oropharynx, nose, larynx, trachea, bronchi, eyes, ears, genitals, skin.

The disease begins acutely and progresses severely with high temperature, pain in the affected organs, the formation of fibrinous films and intoxication of the body.

Diphtheria is dangerous due to its complications. The toxin, or poison, which is produced during the life of the Loeffler bacillus, affects the tissues of the heart, kidneys, peripheral nerves and her roots. If complications develop, a person may become disabled or die.

The advantage of humanity is that there is a vaccine against diphtheria. It will be discussed in this article.

What is the diphtheria vaccine?

The key to the development of diphtheria is the action of the toxin produced by Loeffler's bacillus. Therefore, toxoid, which means “antidote,” is used for vaccination. After vaccination, the body receives antitoxic immunity.

Diphtheria toxoid is used in isolation in the AD-M vaccine. But predominantly the toxoid is administered as part of the Russian drug DPT. In addition to diphtheria, it provides resistance to no less serious diseases - whooping cough and tetanus. If the baby’s body is intolerant of the pertussis component or if there are contraindications to it, the child is vaccinated with a drug devoid of the pertussis component - ADS. Among other things, it is used to prevent diphtheria and tetanus in adults.

Diphtheria toxoid is also included in the following polyvaccines:

• Bubo-Kok;
• Pentaxim;
• Infanrix;
• Infanrix-Hexa;
• Tetrakok;
• Tetraxim.

At what age is the diphtheria vaccine given?

Vaccination is carried out according to the National Vaccination Calendar. Based on this document, immunization against diphtheria for children is carried out with DTP in the following periods:

• first vaccination - at 3 months;
• second vaccination – at 4.5 months;
• third vaccination - at 6 months.

Administration of three doses of the vaccine 45 days apart is necessary to create full immunity to the disease.

In practice, there are many cases when, due to medical exemptions, vaccinations are started at the wrong time. Contact your local pediatrician. He will schedule an individual vaccination schedule.

Immunity to diphtheria has a limited duration. Therefore, there is a need to re-introduce the vaccine. This is called revaccination.

It is also performed in certain age periods:

• The first revaccination is carried out at 18 months;
• the second - at 6-7 years old;
• the third - at 14 years old.

During the first revaccination, the DTP vaccine is used, but the second and third revaccinations are carried out with a drug that contains only diphtheria and tetanus toxoids with a reduced content of antigens, that is, ADS-M.

Many parents may wonder whether it is possible to vaccinate their child with a weakened vaccine at 3 months. After all, DTP in most cases is so difficult for children to tolerate. Answer: no.

• This is explained by the fact that at this age the baby’s immunity against diphtheria needs to be created, and from 6-7 years old it only needs to be supported.
• In addition, the reason for poor tolerability of DTP is the whole-cell pertussis component, and not the diphtheria toxoid. Currently, there are many imported analogues of DPT, in which the pertussis element is acellular and, as a result, is well tolerated by children.

How to prepare for diphtheria vaccination?

As mentioned above, diphtheria toxoid is administered as part of a combination vaccine. More often this is a DPT vaccine, since it is done in a children's clinic for free. The child receives protection against three diseases at once in one vaccine. Any vaccination is a kind of stress for the body, so careful preparation must be carried out so that immunization takes place without side effects and complications.

• The most important rule is that the baby must be healthy. He should not have any acute diseases or exacerbation of chronic ones. After the last illness, at least two weeks must pass for the body to recover. If your child is teething, vaccination should also be postponed. And if the mother does not like something in the condition or mood of the baby, then she should also inform the doctor about this. And together with him, decide whether it is worth getting vaccinated today or whether it should be postponed to another time.
• Parents and relatives living in the same house as the child must also be healthy so as not to infect the baby.
• If vaccination is planned in the near future, you should not introduce a new complementary food product.
• Children with allergies can be given an antihistamine that your pediatrician recommends.

Where is diphtheria vaccination given?

The diphtheria vaccination is given by a specially trained nurse in the vaccination room of the children's clinic, observing all the rules of asepsis in the area of ​​the middle third of the anterior surface of the thigh. The drug is administered intramuscularly.

What should you not do after vaccination against diphtheria?

• After vaccination, do not rush to run home. Wait with your child near the vaccination office for about half an hour, so that in case of development allergic reaction seek specialized help immediately.
• After vaccination, it is not recommended to take long walks, visit guests or visit stores.
• Make sure your child does not scratch the injection site.
• Parents often ask whether the diphtheria vaccine can be wetted. It is advisable not to bathe your child on the day of vaccination. You can wash the baby carefully, trying not to touch the injection site, and in the following days you can, but the injection site should not be rubbed with a washcloth or sponge until it heals.

What reactions and side effects can occur with diphtheria vaccination?

The human body always tolerates favorably:

• diphtheria vaccination AD-M - toxoid;
• two-component vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus ADS or ADS-M (weakened).

Since, according to the National Vaccination Calendar, there is a need for immunization against several infections, DTP or other combined vaccines are used for vaccination.

Their administration can cause various changes in the body. Parents should know what reactions happen after vaccinations. They can be local (where the injection is given) and general.

Local reactions

Local reactions include:

• redness;
• swelling;
• lump or lump;
• local temperature increase;
• pain at the injection site.

These symptoms are caused by the vaccine being injected into the muscle. As soon as the drug is completely absorbed into the bloodstream and absorbed by the body, these manifestations will go away on their own. Usually everything goes away within a few days.

If you do not follow the rules of hygiene, constantly scratching and irritating the injection site, bacteria may be introduced and an abscess may develop. In this case, redness increases, swelling increases in size, swelling and severe pain appear.

Attach dry heat to the area of ​​swelling or apply iodine mesh. This will relieve symptoms and speed up the absorption of the drug into surrounding tissues.

You should not self-medicate, apply any ointments or creams, heat or, conversely, apply cold. This condition requires seeing a doctor.

General reactions

The general reactions are as follows.

• An increase in body temperature is a common symptom accompanying the post-vaccination period. In this case, the children's first aid kit should contain antipyretics.

If the temperature is low and the baby’s condition is satisfactory, it is not recommended to immediately resort to help. pharmacological drugs. It is better to give the child plenty of water, not to feed him too much, and to periodically take thermometry. The more the baby drinks, the more he will sweat, and at the same time give off heat outside.

• Mood changes, tearfulness, moodiness, refusal to eat, bad dream. This is usually a temporary phenomenon. Just spend more time with your baby, and within 3-5 days everything will return to normal.

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of “reaction” to a vaccine and “side effect”. The “reaction” is to some extent not a pathological condition. The pediatrician can also warn that the occurrence of the above symptoms after vaccination is normal and if you provide good care to the baby, everything will pass after 3 days.

Adverse reactions

What cannot be said about side effects and complications. Their development is associated with pathology and requires consultation with a doctor.

Side effects of the diphtheria vaccine:

• allergies – Quincke's edema, urticaria;
• itching in the area where the drug was administered or other changes in the skin;
• increased sweating;
• diarrhea;
• runny nose;
• otitis;
• bronchitis.

Complications and consequences after diphtheria vaccination

Like any foreign substance that enters the human body, the diphtheria vaccine can cause anaphylactic shock. But throughout the history of vaccine use, such cases have been rare, since diphtheria toxoid is a minimally reactogenic drug.

Is it possible to get diphtheria after receiving the vaccine? Of course, the risk of getting infected from a sick person is greatly reduced. But the vaccine does not provide a 100% guarantee. But even if infection occurs, the course of the disease will be mild, without complications or death.

What are the contraindications to diphtheria vaccination?

An absolute contraindication to vaccination is a severe reaction in the form of an allergy to a previous diphtheria vaccine.

Temporary contraindications are as follows.

• Availability acute illness. It will be possible to get vaccinated within 2-4 weeks after the end of the illness.
• Exacerbation chronic illness. Children in complete or partial remission are vaccinated.
• Neurological diseases. Immunization begins after the progression of the process has stopped.
• Allergic diseases. The vaccine is administered outside the acute phase.

Diphtheria vaccination schedule for adults

Antitoxic immunity is not stable, and, as already mentioned, it must be periodically reinforced. For this purpose, from the moment of the last revaccination (if there were no deviations from the timing of immunization), maintenance doses of diphtheria vaccination with the drug AD-M (anatoxin) are administered every ten years.

Due to the coincidence of the timing of revaccination, immunization can be carried out with the drug ADS-M.

It is possible that an adult never received a diphtheria vaccine in childhood. In this case, it is vaccinated as follows:

• first vaccination and second vaccination with an interval of 30-45 days;
• revaccination after 6-9 months. Then, as usual - every 10 years from the last revaccination.

Vaccination against diphtheria is given up to 56 years of age.

A list of all vaccinations ever performed is entered into the outpatient medical record, the preventive vaccination card and the preventive vaccination certificate. Records are kept in parallel. Guided by them, the district nurse calls adults for vaccination.

For adults, the vaccine is injected at subscapular region. The drug is injected deep into the subcutaneous fat layer.

Adults may develop the same side effects and complications as children. The most common symptoms are: headache, fatigue, weakness, decreased performance, slight increase in body temperature. The occurrence of local reactions is also not uncommon. It is necessary to resort to symptomatic therapy, and within a few days everything will pass.

It should be noted that people living in places with unfavorable epidemiological conditions, doctors, catering workers, kindergarten and school workers are required to be vaccinated against diphtheria.

Is it possible to get the diphtheria vaccine during pregnancy?

According to WHO, the administration of live vaccines is strictly prohibited throughout pregnancy. Since toxoids are not classified as such, a pregnant woman can safely get vaccinated against diphtheria and also against tetanus.

A contraindication to vaccination during pregnancy is the first trimester, since the formation of the baby’s organs occurs during this period. As the second trimester begins, there is no risk to the fetus.

Therefore, if 10 years have passed since the last vaccination, and the woman is pregnant, then you can get vaccinated.

Occasionally there are situations when it turns out that a pregnant woman has never been vaccinated against diphtheria at all. In this case, it is recommended to carry out a course of three vaccinations. This will provide immunity not only to the mother, but also to the baby in his first three months of life.

In order not to cause yourself trouble during such an important period of life, to the expectant mother it is recommended to plan a pregnancy - go through medical examination and get all your vaccinations in advance.

Conclusion

Anyone has the right to decide whether to vaccinate themselves or their child or not. In case of diphtheria, no alternative is allowed. Don't forget how dangerous the disease is. If this vaccination is not given, extremely severe complications develop in all cases of the disease, and death occurs in half of them. The vaccine against diphtheria has saved millions of lives since its widespread use. The vaccine is well tolerated, and refusing it is a dangerous decision.

Forewarned is forearmed. This expression is most appropriate for the disease called diphtheria. Diphtheria is an infectious disease that is very difficult to fight. And in most cases it is useless.

Statistics have shown that infections among children are fatal in 50–70% of cases. For about 50 years in a row, diphtheria vaccination has saved millions of children's lives. And infection occurs in less than 10%.

The diphtheria bacillus toxin is made weakened and incapacitated, and then injected into the human body. In this case, the disease is a priori unable to develop. Diphtheria vaccination is done artificially in qualified laboratories and undergoes many tests. Therefore, the fear of becoming infected through an injection must be abandoned forever. The main thing is to follow contraindications and there will be no harm to your health.

The effect of the diphtheria vaccine on the body

The diphtheria vaccine does not affect the bacterium that enters the body. Its effectiveness is aimed at toxic elements from bacteria. If you get rid of them, the disease will recede. The administered drugs provoke the immune system to produce antitoxins. Thanks to such elements, the disease is no longer terrible for your body.

In order not to give an injection thoughtlessly or refuse it, it is worth knowing what consequences can befall you or your child if you are infected with diphtheria. What makes the disease dangerous is not the presence or concentration of the diphtheria bacillus, which enters the body through household or airborne droplets. A toxic substance that this microbe secretes. It affects the mucous membranes, larynx, respiratory tract, etc.

The plaque envelops the walls of the mucous membrane in a single layer and it is very problematic to remove it mechanically. Ulcerative formations and tissue injury remain. It is also not easy to overcome the disease chemically, that is, with medication.

Where is the diphtheria vaccine administered?

Typically, the injection site against diphtheria is selected depending on the age category:

• children - intramuscularly, often in the left forearm, thigh, under the shoulder blade;
• adults - the injection is given under the skin.

When should vaccination be done?

Again, it all depends on age. Children are usually vaccinated according to the following schedule:

• at 3 months the first vaccination against diphtheria;
• 2 more injections in the interval after 45 days each injection;
• next diphtheria vaccine at 1.5 years;
• further in school age– at 6, 14 and 18 years old.

Next, you need to be vaccinated yourself 5 years after the last injection, and the next diphtheria vaccine is needed every 10 years of life. If the first vaccination against the disease was made in adulthood, then he is vaccinated in 3 approaches:

• first diphtheria vaccination - any age;
• the second - exactly 30 days later;
• the third - in a year;
• subsequent vaccinations – after 10 years each.

The schedule is acceptable only for people without contraindications to vaccination against diphtheria.

Types of diphtheria vaccine

Injections are divided into 3 types:

1. DTP - the most known to us since childhood, triple counteraction (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus), is used for children under 6 years of age;
2. ADS - against diphtheria and tetanus, applicable to people with contraindications to the pertussis vaccine;
3. DPT-M - its injections are given to children over 6 years of age and diphtheria vaccinations to adults who have already received DTP in childhood.

Contraindications

A period of ill health is undesirable for vaccination. Even if only a runny nose or a cold has affected the body. It is also strictly forbidden to give injections to people allergic to substances from the vaccine. Also pregnancy up to 12 weeks.

Is the body completely protected after vaccination?

No vaccine or injection can guarantee that a person will not get diphtheria. Vaccination greatly reduces the risk of infection - up to 100%. It all depends on the characteristics of the body and support immune system.

Pregnancy as a reason to cancel vaccination

The World Health Organization notes that pregnancy is not an obstacle to vaccination. Unless the pregnant woman has inherited contraindications. After vaccination against diphtheria, the baby will be born with protection against infection for the first months of life, just up to 3 months of age.

Neither the child nor the mother will become infected, because the injection contains only antitoxin. But the pregnancy must last more than 12 weeks. Because there is no time much more dangerous for medical intervention than pregnancy during the period of fetal formation.

How to care for the injection site

Children often confuse injections and are afraid to wet or touch the place where the drug was injected, as when handling Mantoux tests. The diphtheria vaccine has no restrictions on contact with the injection site. But still, it is better to avoid intense influences: friction, scratching, hot water with salt when bathing, etc. This will make it possible to avoid the appearance of external reactions on the skin.

Body reactions after vaccination

The effects that vaccination can cause are quite varied, but do not be alarmed. This is the body's natural reaction and fight against an unfamiliar substance in the body. So, when symptoms appear, keep the patient at rest. If complications are suspected or side effects It wouldn't hurt to visit a doctor. Especially if a woman is pregnant, regardless of the term.

Possible reactions:

• General poor health. It looks like a cold or loss of strength. The patient wants to sleep, noticeably passive behavior. The condition can last a maximum of a week. If the number of symptoms is rapidly increasing, then you cannot be against a visit to the clinic.
• Pain, swelling, hardening at the injection site. There is also no reason to worry. In a week, the drug will completely leave the injection site and at the same time the discomfort in this area will disappear.
• Increased body temperature. It happens that a similar symptom appears within a day. Reduce the fever with the usual medications you use for colds. But if the temperature appeared within a short period of time after the injection, then find out with the doctor what could have caused this condition.

Complications and consequences of vaccination

So far, in the entire history of vaccination against diphtheria, no cases similar to complications have been recorded. The most significant effects of manifestation are undiagnosed allergies to the drug, which are effectively managed by doctors. Or an injection administered into a child’s body during diathesis and similar diagnoses. This should be attributed to non-compliance with contraindications, and not complications.

Side effects of the diphtheria vaccine

Unlike complications, side effects do exist. But they do not pose a serious threat to the life or health of the patient.

Effects of the vaccine:

• external – itching, skin manifestations, sweating;
• internal - problems with stool, ear inflammation, bronchitis and other side effects.

Nevertheless, the diphtheria vaccine is considered the safest and most harmless in medicine, because the side effects are akin to a mild cold. Remember, the doctor’s task is to provide you with prevention and protection of the body. And yours is to monitor the safe effect in order to avoid negative consequences.

Be healthy!

Being a protection against dangerous infection, children are vaccinated against diphtheria in infancy. The disease is caused by a toxin from the microorganism Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The course of the disease is quite severe: dense films form on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, throat and intestines, under which ulcers and tissue necrosis are found.

If the serum is not administered on time, the mortality rate is 70 cases out of 100. Therefore, diphtheria vaccination is given to children from the age of three months in the form of a complex vaccine - DTP, which at the same time protects against tetanus and whooping cough. In its isolated form, anti-diphtheria vaccination is used extremely rarely today.

Vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus

Most often, children are simultaneously vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus - it is a combination of toxoids and is called ADS. There is also a vaccine with a pertussis component (DPT vaccine), but not all children tolerate it. Why is an injection given for two diseases at once? There are quite justifiable reasons for this:

• both components (anti-diphtheria and anti-tetanus) require the same active substance - aluminum hydroxide;
• vaccination calendars, schedules, and timing of vaccination against these diseases (if taken separately) coincide, which makes it possible to administer these vaccines simultaneously;
• The current level of industrial development makes it possible to place these two components into one drug, which means the number of injections for children is halved.

In any case, it is convenient for doctors, parents, and children themselves that one vaccination provides protection against two dangerous infections at once. Accordingly, the reaction of a small organism to vaccination and its side effects can only be experienced once instead of twice.

Features of vaccination

Doctors should inform parents in advance when diphtheria vaccination is given and how to prepare for the upcoming vaccination. It is carried out in accordance with the generally accepted vaccination calendar:

• at 3 months;
• at 4.5 months;
• in six months;
• at one and a half years;
• at 6–7 years old.

Full susceptibility of the body to diphtheria is formed after the administration of three doses of the vaccine (they are given at intervals of 30–40 days). But to maintain the immune system, children are given two more auxiliary vaccinations against diphtheria, which allow them to maintain immunity to infection for 10 years. So revaccination after this will be necessary only at 16–17 years of age.

The second question that parents always worry about before this procedure is where children are vaccinated against diphtheria. This requires a muscle, so it is recommended to inject under the shoulder blade or into the thigh, where the thickness of the skin is not great, which means the vaccine will reach its final goal faster.

Despite all the usefulness and maximum effectiveness of this vaccination, and also due to the availability of information on how to get vaccinated against diphtheria, many parents doubt whether to give consent to such a procedure. Why does the number of refusals from it not decrease every year, but grow?

Pros and cons

Before vaccination, parents ask whether diphtheria vaccination is mandatory and whether it is possible to refuse it. On the one hand, you can write a refusal, and then the injection will not be administered to the child. But at the same time, doctors must explain to parents in detail what this can lead to. You need to keep in mind the benefits of diphtheria vaccination:

• the risk of infection is minimal;
• even if a child gets sick with diphtheria, but is vaccinated against it, the course of the disease will be rapid, the form will be mild, recovery will not be long in coming;
• When your child grows up, he may not be hired due to the lack of information about this vaccination in his medical record.

Moreover, the list of jobs for which vaccination against diphtheria is mandatory is quite impressive:

• agricultural;
• construction;
• irrigation;
• procurement;
• geological;
• fishing;
• exploration;
• expeditionary;
• animal care;
• maintenance of sewerage facilities;
• medicine;
• education.

So if you want to see your baby as a doctor or teacher in the future, it is better to immediately agree to vaccination, otherwise many doors will simply close in front of him. Why, then, does the diphtheria vaccine scare parents so much that they refuse a life-saving and so useful injection? Perhaps they are frightened by the list of complications that may arise after it. However, they develop only if some contraindications have not been observed, the presence of which is detected in children before they are given the vaccine.

Contraindications

One of the most important advantages of diphtheria vaccination is the minimum of contraindications. Vaccination is not carried out at all if the child has an individual intolerance to the components of the administered drug. In other cases, vaccination can only be postponed:

• in the acute course of any disease;
• if there is a high temperature;
• if you are taking potent medications;
• presence of eczema;
• if the child has diathesis.

If individual intolerance or these factors were not identified in time, only in this case can one expect any side effects after vaccination against diphtheria. In all other cases, the reaction to this vaccination does not go beyond the norm.

Reaction to vaccination

Parents should know what reaction their child should have to the diphtheria vaccine so as not to worry unnecessarily. Despite the fact that the symptoms of this post-vaccination reaction can be unpleasant, they pass quickly and without a trace, without affecting the child’s health in any way. These most often include:

• local reaction: redness of the skin;
• lethargy;
• general malaise;
• drowsiness;
• if the diphtheria vaccine hurts, you don’t need to be afraid: inflammation forms at the injection site, which can be accompanied by pain, so this reaction is natural for a whole week after vaccination;
• a slight swelling at the injection site can also last for a week until the drug is completely absorbed into the blood;
• the formation of a lump is a consequence of the fact that the vaccine preparation did not get into the muscle, but into the fiber under the skin: there is nothing wrong with that, but this neoplasm will take quite a long time to dissolve - over the course of a month;
• if a child has a fever within two days after vaccination, it can be brought down with antipyretics; usually it does not last too long and is not extremely high.

In order for the reactions after the injection to be completely normal, you need to know a few basic points about caring for the puncture site. For example, many people are interested in how long they should not wash after vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus, although there are no contraindications to water procedures after this vaccination. You just don’t need to bathe your child in a too hot bath with foam, much less with salt, so as not to irritate the skin at the injection site. It is also better not to use a washcloth for a week. Otherwise, there are no restrictions, so parents should not be afraid to give consent to vaccination against diphtheria. Moreover, complications after it are extremely rare.

Complications

All the consequences of diphtheria vaccination can hardly be called complications, since, firstly, they are very rare, and secondly, they do not cause significant harm to the child’s health. These include:

• diarrhea;
• profuse sweating;
• dermatitis;
• cough;
• otitis;
• pharyngitis;
• runny nose;
• bronchitis.

All these diseases can be treated in a short time. They are extremely rare as side effects after diphtheria vaccination. Moreover, the motives of those parents who refuse this vaccination are not clear. No anaphylactic shock or deaths were observed after ADS injection. At the same time, the effectiveness and benefits of vaccination have been repeatedly confirmed in practice. So, before making such an important decision, parents should definitely talk to their pediatrician, find out all the advantages and disadvantages of the anti-diphtheria injection and draw the right conclusions. After all, both the health and future life of the baby will depend on them.

To date

graft

diphtheria

represents the introduction not of the causative agent of the disease itself, but of its toxin. This diphtheria toxoid causes a specific reaction of the immune system, during which special substances are produced - antitoxins. It is antitoxins that ensure subsequent immunity of a person to diphtheria.

History of mass application

vaccines

against diphtheria dates back to 1974, when the World Health Organization began implementing the Expanded Program on Immunization. Over the past almost 40 years, in countries where the population was massively vaccinated against diphtheria in childhood, managed to reduce the incidence of this infection by 90%. Antitoxins remain in the body after vaccination and have an effective protective effect for about 10 years.

Diphtheria vaccination

Diphtheria vaccination will help protect adults and children from dangerous infectious disease which is called

Corynebacterium diphtheriae

In the development of infection, the key role is played not by the microorganism itself, but by the toxin it secretes in the human body. The main manifestation of diphtheria is the formation of dense films that form on the mucous membranes of the throat, nasopharynx or

These films cannot be removed, and if they are forcibly torn off, ulcerative-necrotic lesions of the mucous membrane will open. The course of the infection is extremely severe. If the serum is not used for treatment in combination with

The mortality rate among children reaches 50–70% of cases.

The mortality rate is especially high among sick children, so they are vaccinated against diphtheria from the very beginning. early age. In Russia, vaccination against diphtheria is given from the age of three months, and is a complex vaccine - DTP, which is also intended to develop immunity to tetanus and whooping cough. If a person was not vaccinated against diphtheria as a child, then this should be done as an adult. Adults also need protection from diphtheria because their susceptibility to infection is no less than that of children, as is the course of the disease and mortality. To form full protection against this disease, it is necessary to administer several doses of the vaccine in order to develop a sufficient amount of antitoxin.

After a full course of diphtheria vaccinations (three pieces), a person acquires immunity, which has a limited duration. Increasing the period of immunity of the body to this infection is achieved by introducing additional doses of the vaccine, which are called booster. Such booster doses are administered a year later (at 1.5 years) after a full course of three vaccinations against diphtheria, then at primary school age (at 6–7 years), after which it is enough to renew your immunity to infection once every ten years.

Today, two types of vaccines against diphtheria are produced - with a preservative (thiomersal) and without it. Vaccines with a preservative are usually ampoules containing a certain volume of the drug, sufficient for several doses. Preservative-free vaccines are dispensed into disposable, ready-to-use syringes that contain only one dose of the drug. Such drugs have a limited shelf life and a significantly lower risk of side effects. Any vaccine preparation against diphtheria should be stored at a certain temperature – from 2 to 4oC, without freezing. If these storage conditions are violated, the vaccine cannot be used.

Today, the diphtheria vaccine is practically not used in its isolated form. Typically, the diphtheria vaccine is administered in combination with antitetanus (tetanus) and antipertussis (DTP) components.

Vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria

The most commonly used combination of toxoids in a complex vaccine (ADV) is tetanus and diphtheria components. ADS is used for children and adults, both for the primary course of vaccinations and as booster doses necessary to maintain previously formed immunity. Children are usually given a vaccine with a pertussis component (DTP), but if they are intolerant to the pertussis component, ADS is used. Adults and children over 4 years of age are given only ADS, since whooping cough no longer poses a danger to them, but diphtheria and

still require active immunoprophylaxis.

The combination of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids in one vaccine is justified, since both components require a special substance - aluminum hydroxide, onto which they are adsorbed. On the other hand, the schedules for administering vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus separately are completely the same, which makes it possible to administer these vaccines simultaneously. The timing of revaccination against tetanus and diphtheria is also the same. Due to the development of industry, it has become possible to place two components in one drug, which makes it possible to administer one vaccine that will protect against two infections at once. One vaccine against two infections means that the number of injections is reduced by exactly half.

Diphtheria and polio vaccine

Against diphtheria and

Only the drug Tetracok can protect at the same time. Tetracoc contains components against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. The vaccine is purified and therefore minimally reactogenic. In addition, Tetracoc contains an inactivated polio component, which can never cause vaccine-associated polio, unlike the live oral vaccine (oral drops). To create full immunity of the child’s body against all four infections - diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio, a complex of four doses of Tetracoc is required. The drug can be used to vaccinate children, instead of using two vaccines - DTP and against polio (in the form of drops in the mouth).

Should I be vaccinated against diphtheria?

The answer to the question “should I be vaccinated against diphtheria?” is a personal matter for each person. To make the right decision, you must put aside your emotions and, under the influence of an exceptionally cold mind, weigh all the pros and cons.

The diphtheria vaccine protects a person from an infectious disease that has killed thousands of children over the centuries. Deaths from diphtheria are due to blockage respiratory tract child or adult with specific films formed on the mucous membranes during the course of the infection. With the rapid progression of diphtheria, films are formed in large quantities and clog the airways. In this case, in the absence of emergency assistance, death occurs.

Blockage of the respiratory tract with diphtheritic films can occur within a very short period of time - from 15 to 30 minutes, during which it is not always possible to simply get to the hospital. Emergency help in such a situation, a tracheostomy is performed - a hole is made in the larynx, a tube is inserted into it, through which the person breathes. At this time, diphtheritic films are removed if possible and sucked out with special devices.

IN late XIX century, diphtheria epidemics claimed the lives of approximately half of those affected. But after the First World War, diphtheria antitoxin was invented - a specially prepared immunobiological drug, like an antidote, which made it possible to cure up to 90% of those sick. Today, the disease is treated with antitoxin and antibiotics. Antitoxin relieves the manifestations and further progression of the infection, and antibiotics suppress the proliferation of bacteria that cause the disease.

A sick person is also dangerous because he is a source of infection for others. Moreover, such asymptomatic carriage and fairly high infectiousness to others persists even after clinical recovery. The bacterium that causes diphtheria can only live in the human body. Therefore, when the percentage of vaccinated people in a population is high, the infection simply stops circulating - it can be eliminated, as was done with smallpox.

After recovery, immunity may or may not develop. This depends on the individual properties of the human immune system. Therefore, experiencing diphtheria as a full-fledged disease does not at all guarantee a person subsequent immunity to this dangerous infection. But a consistent series of four doses of the vaccine allows one to develop immunity to infection, which has been convincingly proven in developed countries, where almost 98% of the population has been vaccinated, and diphtheria is a rarity.

Vaccination against diphtheria is very easy to tolerate and almost never causes serious complications. Due to the danger of the infection itself, and high efficiency and the safety of the vaccine, there is an opinion that it is still worth getting vaccinated.

Diphtheria vaccination for adults

An adult can be vaccinated against diphtheria again if he has not been vaccinated previously. If in childhood a person received a full course of vaccinations against this disease, then adults should receive one dose of the vaccine every 10 years to activate and maintain immunity to infection. Such revaccination of adults vaccinated in childhood is carried out at the ages of 18 - 27, 28 - 37, 38 - 47, 48 - 57 and over 58 years, according to the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation N 174 of May 17, 1999.

If an adult has not previously been vaccinated against diphtheria, then he needs to receive three doses of the vaccine to develop immunity. The first two are administered with a break of 1 month between them, and the third - a year after the second. Then 10 years are counted from the third vaccination, after which revaccination is carried out with one dose of the drug.

Adults should be revaccinated against diphtheria, since this infection is dangerous at any age, which makes it necessary to maintain immunity to the disease. Vaccination is mandatory for students, military personnel, construction industry workers, excavators, railway workers, as well as all adults living in a region where the epidemiological situation for diphtheria is not favorable. Adults receive the ADS-m, AD-m, Imovax or Adyult vaccination, which is also a revaccination against tetanus.

Immunization of children

Children are vaccinated against diphtheria with a complex vaccine - DTP, which also contains antitetanus and antipertussis components. In case of intolerance to the anti-pertussis component in the DPT vaccine, vaccination in children is carried out only for tetanus and diphtheria with DPT preparations. Vaccination against diphtheria includes the mandatory administration of five doses of the vaccine preparation within the following periods:

At 3 months.

At 4.5 months.

At 6 months.

At 1.5 years.

At 6–7 years old.

To develop full immunity to diphtheria, it is sufficient to administer three doses of the vaccine, with an interval of 30 to 45 days between injections. But the peculiarities of the functioning of the immune system of children lead to the need to maintain this immunity to infection by administering booster doses at 1.5 years and at 6–7 years. After the last booster dose at 6–7 years of age, immunity to diphtheria persists for 10 years. Thus, the first revaccination is necessary only at 15–16 years of age. After 16 years of age, revaccination is carried out only once every 10 years, counting from the last vaccination.

Diphtheria vaccination and pregnancy

Pregnant women cannot receive live vaccines because there is a risk of infection in the baby. Live vaccines include measles, mumps,

and from polio. As for the diphtheria vaccine, they contain only toxoid. Diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, can be freely administered to pregnant women for the purpose of immunization against dangerous infections.

is not a contraindication or obstacle to revaccination against diphtheria if 10 years have passed since the last vaccination.

If a pregnant woman has not previously been fully vaccinated against diphtheria, the World Health Organization recommends a course of three vaccinations during pregnancy so that the newborn child has antibodies during the first months of life. Due to the lack of objective data and observations, it is not recommended to administer vaccine preparations only before 12 weeks of pregnancy, and from the 13th week, diphtheria vaccinations do not pose a danger to the fetus.

It is best, of course, to plan your pregnancy and get all the vaccinations in advance. In this case, after immunization against diphtheria, one month must pass before conception so that the drug does not have a negative effect on the development of the fetus.

Vaccination schedule According to the National Vaccination Calendar, the following dates for vaccinating children and adolescents against diphtheria have been adopted in Russia:1. 3 months.
2.

4.5 months.

Six months (6 months).

1.5 years (18 months).

This vaccination schedule is carried out if the child has no contraindications to vaccination. Vaccination at 16 years of age is considered the first revaccination, which subsequently should be carried out once every 10 years. That is, the next vaccination against diphtheria must be given at 26 years old, then at 36, 46, 56, 66, 76, etc.

If a child aged from one year to 7 years has not been vaccinated against diphtheria, then when the opportunity arises, vaccination is recommended according to the following scheme: two doses are administered with a break of 2 months between them, then the third six months to a year after the second. Adults who have not previously received the diphtheria vaccine are also vaccinated according to the same scheme. You can start an immunization cycle at any age if a person has no contraindications. In this case, after the last vaccination, immunity against infection remains for 10 years, after which it is necessary to carry out reimmunization by administering one dose of the drug. All subsequent reimmunizations are carried out 10 years after the last one. Even if more than 10 years have passed since the last vaccination, in order to re-induce immunity to infection, it is enough to administer only one dose of the drug.

Where is the vaccine injection given?

The vaccine must be placed in a muscle, so the vaccine should be injected into the thigh or under the shoulder blade. The choice of injection site is determined by the fact that on the thigh and under the shoulder blade muscle layer fits close to the skin, and the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue is minimal. It is necessary that the drug gets into the muscle - then the effect will be maximum and the severity of reactions will be minimal.

Where is immunization carried out?

Diphtheria vaccination is available at any public clinic, special vaccination centers or hospital departments. If a person is likely to develop a severe reaction (for example, an allergy), then it is best to administer the vaccine in a hospital setting. In all other cases, you can get vaccinated on an outpatient basis - at a clinic or vaccination center.

In government institutions, drugs are available that are purchased by the state, and they are free for the patient, and in vaccination centers you can be vaccinated with an imported vaccine, which costs significantly more. If you wish, you can buy a certain drug at a pharmacy, and then go to the vaccination office of a clinic or vaccination center so that a medical worker can simply give an intramuscular injection. If you buy the vaccine yourself at a pharmacy, take care in advance of the proper conditions for transporting and storing the drug.

Is diphtheria vaccination required?

In our country, according to the law Russian Federation“On Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases” of July 17, 1998, Articles No. 5 and No. 11, a person has the right to refuse preventive vaccinations, including against diphtheria. However, according to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation N 825 of July 15, 1999 “On approval of the list of works, the performance of which is associated with a high risk of disease infectious diseases and requires mandatory preventive vaccinations,” immunization against diphtheria is mandatory for people working in the following sectors of the national economy:

Agricultural, drainage, construction and other work on excavation and movement of soil, procurement, fishing, geological, survey, expedition, deratization and disinfestation work in areas unfavorable for infections common to humans and animals.

Work on logging, clearing and improvement of forests, health and recreation areas for the population in areas unfavorable for infections common to humans and animals.

Work in organizations for the procurement, storage, processing of raw materials and livestock products obtained from farms affected by infections common to humans and animals.

Work on the procurement, storage and processing of agricultural products in areas unfavorable for infections common to humans and animals.

Work on the slaughter of livestock suffering from infections common to humans and animals, the procurement and processing of meat and meat products obtained from it.

Work related to animal care and maintenance of livestock facilities in livestock farms that are vulnerable to infections common to humans and animals.

Work on catching and keeping stray animals.

Maintenance work on sewerage structures, equipment and networks.

Working with patients with infectious diseases.

Work with live cultures of infectious disease pathogens.

Work with human blood and biological fluids.

Work in all types and types of educational institutions.

All these people are vaccinated at the expense of funds state budget, and is free for humans.

Despite this order, a person may refuse in writing a preventive vaccination against diphtheria. But in this case, a person may not be allowed to work or study during a period of epidemic or threat of an outbreak of infection.

After vaccination against diphtheria

After vaccination against diphtheria, local reactions most often develop, that is, various

at the injection site. The likelihood of developing these local reactions slightly increases when a vaccine containing anti-diphtheria and anti-tetanus components (ADS) is administered compared to a drug against diphtheria (AD) only.

After vaccination against diphtheria, you should follow a number of rules that will help reduce the severity of post-vaccination reactions. Firstly, the vaccine can only be given against a background of complete health, on an empty stomach and after bowel movement. Try to minimize the time you spend in the clinic to avoid contracting a cold or ARVI.

After the procedure, try to stay at home for several days so that you can lie down in a calm environment. For 2 – 3 days, observe a semi-starvation regime with plenty of warm liquid intake. Do not eat any exotic or unfamiliar foods, avoid salty, spicy, sweet, spicy, etc. Also, for 7 days you cannot visit a bathhouse, sauna, swimming pool, go on hiking trips, participate in competitions and visit places with large crowds of people (cafes, theaters, cinemas, etc.).

Diphtheria vaccination and alcohol. After vaccination against diphtheria, you must refrain from drinking alcohol for three days.

Is it possible to wash after diphtheria vaccination and wet the injection site? In general, there are no contraindications to water procedures. However, you should not take too much hot bath with foam or salt to prevent skin irritation at the injection site. Also, when washing, do not rub the injection site with a washcloth. Otherwise, the injection site can be wetted.

Reaction to the vaccine

Reactions to vaccination are normal and not pathological. Symptoms of post-vaccination reactions can be unpleasant, but they go away on their own and without leaving a trace, without causing any problems.

person. Diphtheritic vaccine belongs to the class of low-reactogenic, that is, it very rarely causes reactions. The most common local reactions are at the injection site. It is also possible to have a fever, lethargy,

General malaise and slight fatigue, which disappear within a few days (maximum of a week). Let's take a closer look at the most common reactions to diphtheria vaccination:

The diphtheria vaccine hurts. Since local inflammation forms at the site of vaccine injection, which is always accompanied by pain, such a reaction is quite natural. The pain will persist as long as there is inflammation. And the inflammation will persist until all the drug is absorbed - usually this takes up to 7 days. If the pain is too annoying, you can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, ibuprofen, imesulide, or regular Analgin).

The diphtheria vaccine is swollen. Swelling of the injection site is also due to the presence of local inflammation, and will persist until all the drug is absorbed into the blood. If the swelling does not hurt or cause discomfort, leave it alone - it will go away within a week.

Lump after diphtheria vaccination. The formation of a lump is due to the vaccine preparation entering the subcutaneous tissue rather than into the muscle. In such a situation, the drug forms a depot and is slowly washed out into the blood, which is manifested by the formation of a lump at the injection site. This condition does not require treatment, but the formation will have to wait at least a month for resorption. During this period of time, carefully observe the hygiene of the injection site so as not to accidentally introduce an infection, since in this case suppuration is possible.

Temperature after diphtheria vaccination. If the temperature rises immediately or within 24 hours after the injection, then this is a normal reaction of the body. Since temperature does not help in any way to develop immunity to diphtheria, it makes no sense to endure it. It can be reduced with conventional antipyretic drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen. If the temperature rises after two or more days, then this is a symptom of a completely different disease, and this condition has nothing to do with vaccination. You should consult a doctor to find out the causes of the temperature.

Side effects of the diphtheria vaccine

Diphtheria vaccination is one of the safest in terms of side effects. To date, no cases of development have been identified

in response to the introduction of a vaccine. Side effects are expressed in the development of a strong local reaction, which may intensify as the number of doses of the drug received increases.

The main side effects of the diphtheria vaccine are:

• diarrhea;
• profuse sweating;
• cough;
• dermatitis;
• runny nose;
• otitis;
• bronchitis and pharyngitis.

These conditions are easily treatable and do not cause permanent impairment of human health. ComplicationsComplications of diphtheria vaccination are very rare. Not a single case of severe allergies or neurological disorders has been identified in the world. However, a number of cases of allergy development have been recorded when children were vaccinated against diphtheria against the background of eczema or diathesis. It is precisely such cases that are classified as complications. Contraindications An absolute contraindication to vaccination against diphtheria is only the presence of a severe allergic reaction to the components of the vaccine. In this case, the vaccine can never be given. Temporary vaccination should not be given against the background of fever, during an acute period of illness or allergy, but after the condition has normalized, immunization can be done without fear.
Refusal of diphtheria vaccination

Every person has the right to refuse diphtheria vaccination. Your refusal must be formalized in writing, and the application must be submitted to the head of the institution (clinic, school, kindergarten etc.). The statement of refusal to vaccinate must contain a legal justification for your step, as well as a signature with an explanation and date. An example of writing a refusal to get vaccinated against diphtheria is presented below:

To the chief physician of the clinic no.

Cities (villages, hamlets)

From (name of applicant)

Statement

I, ____________full name, passport details______________, refuse to give (indicate which specific vaccinations) to my child (full name) / myself, date of birth_________, registered at clinic no. Legal basis - “Fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the protection of the health of citizens” dated July 22, 1993 No. 5487-1, articles 32, 33 and 34 and “On immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases” dated September 17, 1998 No. 57 - Federal Law, articles 5 and 11 .

Signature with transcript

ATTENTION! The information posted on our website is for reference or popular information and is provided to a wide range of readers for discussion. Prescription of medications should be carried out only by a qualified specialist, based on the medical history and diagnostic results.

Vaccination against diphtheria and its effect on the human body

Modern medicine has reached a good level in the treatment and rehabilitation of such patients. When administered, the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine exposes the body to great danger. Is it worth agreeing to this?

Vaccines are designed to provide human protection against various bacteria and viruses. They are created by identifying disease factors that are pathogenic to humans.

When this factor is identified, its pathogenicity is chemically destroyed. All that remains is the structure from which the human immune system can be developed.

Anatoxin is a safe toxin that is chemically deprived of its pathogenic properties using formaldehyde. It is used to create substances in the human body that will fight the real toxin.. Pathogenic toxins are produced by microorganisms that cause infectious pathology.

Any substance that enters the body causes a cascade of reactions that lead to positive or negative consequences.

Likewise, a reaction to a diphtheria vaccine can cause various changes.

Getting into the bloodstream, active substance vaccines work with the immune system as a stimulant, provoking the production of antibodies. They are the ones who are able to fight Corynobacter toxins.

Does the diphtheria vaccine have consequences that will negatively affect human health? Of course, it does not, because the active substance of the vaccine does not cause changes characteristic of diphtheria disease.

The health burden after the injection is provided by the immune system, and side effects are often caused by additional substances. Vaccination against diphtheria stimulates the formation of long-term and stable immunity, which an adult needs to maintain once every ten years.

Berbiga Anatoly Efremovich, Kyiv, consultant doctor private clinic infectious diseases

Practical medicine has now reached such a level of care that saving a patient from diphtheria rarely ends in complications and death.

But this is more likely due to the preservation of the general immunity of the population against diphtheria.

Many of my patients are worried when they get vaccinated against diphtheria. I always say that it is better to spend 140 rubles. for vaccination than 20,000 rubles. for treatment for this disease.

Why are the consequences of the disease more dangerous than the side effects of the vaccine? Diphtheria disease is a pathological condition caused by Corynobacter.

The disease is characterized by damage to any mucous membrane, severe symptoms intoxication, as well as a high risk of developing complications of vital organs.

These include the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. The severity of the disease depends on the reactivity of the body and the number of pathogenic bacteria that have entered the bloodstream. They will produce pathogenic toxins.

The vaccine contains a safe toxin that cannot cause the onset of the disease.

Only those vaccines that are stored for no more than 3 years at a temperature of 2-8 ° C are suitable for use. If frozen, they become unusable.

If the vaccination rules are followed, diphtheria vaccination does not cause side effects in adults. But if they are violated, it will lead to negative effects in 80-90% of cases.

If your temperature rises after DPT vaccination, this can be considered normal or a complication, read the next article.

When is diphtheria vaccination necessary for adults and children?

Many patients and even doctors ask the question, “When is the diphtheria vaccine given?” The answer to this question is contained in the Population Vaccination Calendar.

It contains all the necessary rules for the use of vaccines. Diphtheria vaccination has the same contraindications as other vaccines, which are also described in detail in this calendar.

After 18 years of age, children and adults are vaccinated against tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years.. But in case of illness, revaccination is not done, since it is believed that immunity has already been formed after the illness.

Vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus is used at any age for planned and emergency prevention of these diseases. Vaccination against whooping cough and tetanus is often used for preschool children.

There is also a vaccination schedule for children under 3 years of age. We will talk about it in our other material.

What is hidden under the mysterious letters of the abbreviations AKDS, ADS, ADS-M, AD-M, Bubo-M

DTP is a whole-cell pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine, which in 1 dose of 0.5 ml contains 30 IU of diphtheria, 60 IU of tetanus toxoids and 4 IU of pertussis vaccine.

Substances are adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide. The preservative used is merthiolate.

ADS is a Russian-made diphtheria-tetanus toxoid, which in 1 ml contains 60 LF of diphtheria and 20 EU of tetanus toxoids.

ADS-M is a Russian-made diphtheria-tetanus toxoid, which in 1 ml contains 10 LF diphtheria and 10 EC tetanus toxoids.

This vaccination against diphtheria for adults is given intramuscularly in a dosage of 0.5 ml. The first vaccination is given in two doses with the introduction of immunoglobulin.

AD-M – diphtheria toxoid, produced by the Russian Federation, the Microgen company. 1 dose (1 ml) contains 10 LF of diphtheria toxoid.

Vaccination against diphtheria for children over 6 years of age is done according to the rules for using the ADS-M vaccine.

Alekseeva Nina Ilyinichna, Lugansk, pediatrician, infectious diseases department No. 2

Vaccination practice is currently subject to significant manipulation of facts about its results.

In modern articles, journalists significantly exaggerate the risk of adverse reactions from vaccinations.

You shouldn’t give in to the anti-vaccination panic, you need to look at things realistically. Thanks to vaccination, the world is gradually getting rid of fatal diseases, diseases after which the patient remains disabled.

Now you don't need to swallow a huge number of pills to get well. You can simply vaccinate on time and correctly.

Bubo-M - vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis B. The vaccine is produced by the Combiotech company, Russian Federation. 1 dose (0.5 ml) contains 10 μg of HBsAg, 5 LF diphtheria and 5 EC tetanus toxoids and a preservative - 2-phenoxy-ethanol, merthiolate 0.005%. It is administered to children over 6 years of age in 1 dose intramuscularly..

When not to vaccinate

It is definitely not worth getting vaccinated if there is an elevated body temperature, illness of the ENT organs, pregnancy, or relapse of long-standing diseases.

This can provoke an exacerbation of the condition. During pregnancy, immunity decreases, so the effect of vaccination on a woman can lead to the threat of termination of pregnancy.

During breastfeeding, revaccination is not recommended, since the baby receives all the components of the mother’s blood through milk.

That's why the possibility of the toxin entering the baby’s body is dangerous to his health.

You should not get vaccinated against diphtheria in the first 30 days after recovering from any disease.

This is a period of convalescence, when the patient is recovering from an illness and vaccination will lead to the occurrence of various diseases or side effects.

The body's response to vaccination

Diphtheria vaccination causes a wide variety of side effects in adults. From itching in the injection area to anaphylactic shock.

At risk are those people who have a history of allergic reactions. on medications, including previously administered vaccines.

But with a careful collection of allergy history and compliance with all vaccination rules, diphtheria vaccination does not cause side effects.

If complications arise in such situations, it is necessary to be treated exclusively in a hospital, because undesirable effects may increase over time.

The most common side effect there is itching in the injection area. And patients very often turn to an infectious disease doctor with the question “How to care for the injection site?”

The answer is quite simple: you need to forget about this place, do not scratch it, do not wash it.

It is a mistake to rub the injection site with alcohol or apply compresses, even if the diphtheria vaccine hurts.

Pain can be caused by mechanical trauma to the muscles during insertion medicine, and skin irritation can be caused by formic alcohol, which is often used to treat the skin before the injection.

Where do you get the diphtheria vaccination and where is the best place to get it?

Pain and swelling after vaccination - this may be a normal reaction, the main thing is not to intensively impact this area

It is advisable to do all vaccinations into the outer thigh muscle as deeply as possible.

To decide where to get vaccinated against diphtheria, you need to verify the competence of a pediatrician (for children) or an infectious disease doctor (for adults) at the clinic at your place of residence.

Government institutions operate according to the latest modern orders, which are compiled by scientists of the required specialty.

When consulting, pay attention to the doctor’s professionalism and attention to detail. If everything suits you, do preventive tests and feel free to get vaccinated. Before vaccination, it is necessary to take and evaluate the test results:

• Clinical blood test;
• General urine test (how to take a test in infants using a urine bag, read here).

Also, at the discretion of the doctor, instrumental studies are prescribed:

• Ultrasound of organs abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space.

All these examinations can be done at the nearest medical facility.

The need to vaccinate adults should be consulted in the infectious diseases office.

In regions where rare diseases such as plague, tularemia, typhoid fever, anthrax, and Haemophilus influenzae are widespread, vaccination for epidemic indications is quite widespread.

If there is a danger of developing negative consequences in humans, cell-free toxoids can be used for vaccination.

They have higher prices, but the risk of developing unwanted reactions is significantly lower than that of whole-cell ones.

Vasina Irina Grigorievna, Kharkov, infectious disease doctor at the city Polyclinic

I have been vaccinating adults for 20 years. And throughout my entire medical career, I have encountered only 2 cases of side effects from diphtheria vaccination.

Competent doctors take a very careful approach to vaccinating the population, carefully taking into account all indications and contraindications for an individual patient

Is vaccination really necessary for a disease that people no longer get?

In 1990-1995, the disease with tonsillitis was epidemic. At that time, almost 60% of children and 15% of adults died from complications caused by Corynobacter.

Only thanks to vaccination, the prevalence of the disease decreased by 2008 to 5-6 cases per year in the Russian Federation. But still, the high contagiousness of the bacterial infection remains.

10-15 years have passed since forced vaccination in the early 90s. During this time, many people's immune systems against the disease have weakened.

Therefore, revaccination is currently needed for every segment of the population. Decreased immunity leads to the emergence of carriers of the pathogen.

This person still has immunity against the toxin, but it is not enough to fight the pathogen. So the carrier is in the company of people, infecting them with the disease through airborne droplets.

conclusions

Based on the above facts, we can conclude that only systematic vaccination of various segments of the population will help eradicate a disease such as diphtheria from the face of the Earth. Don't avoid vaccinations. Follow the rules for using vaccinations and then the side effects from them will not bother you.

Diphtheria is an infection that poses a serious danger to the body and is caused by bacteria of the genus corynebacteria. This disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. Affects a person, striking him respiratory organs, skin, central nervous and reproductive systems.

Its symptoms include sore throat, elevated body temperature, general weakness of the body and swelling of the neck. This disease enlarges the lymph nodes and causes plaque to appear on the tonsils. It is dangerous due to its complications and the fact that it damages organs throughout the body. In addition to the above, these also include the neck, vocal cords, development inflammatory processes heart muscles. Only vaccination has helped and is helping to effectively combat diphtheria.

It is not so easy to overcome it when infected, and therefore carrying out prevention, preventing the appearance of the disease is the best option.

A thick film may appear on the mucous membrane of the oropharynx, which is a pathogen, which, developing over time, will begin to damage human organs and tissues, which will turn into severe intoxication. Also, the film formed in the oropharynx, as well as in the bronchi, is dangerous because it can peel off. This can eventually cause severe breathing difficulties.

Diphtheria vaccination needed to prevent the development of side effects of the disease that appear due to exotoxins entering the blood. This toxin causes swelling in the blood vessels and begins to damage internal organs.

The diphtheria vaccine is combined simultaneously with the components of the vaccines against whooping cough and tetanus. Before starting vaccination, you need to undergo a full examination of the body and undergo a course of drug therapy with antihistamines for three days.

After vaccination, the course will need to be completed again.

Contraindications to vaccination

Vaccination against diphtheria is contraindicated in several cases:

• if the child was born prematurely, then vaccination is not recommended;
• during pregnancy due to the fact that there is a chance of intrauterine pathology in the fetus;
• with intrauterine pathologies, congenital defects;
• with blood pathology;
• during exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• also for severe systemic pathologies, for example, collagenosis;
• during acute infections or non-infectious diseases at the acute stage;
• allergic reaction to a vaccine component;
• with anaphylactic shock;
• for immunodeficiencies of all levels;
• for severe diseases of the central nervous system, for example, encephalitis or meningitis;
• with insufficiency, renal and hepatic;
• when exposed to immediate type in response to vaccination.

Therefore, before immunization, specialists must conduct a full range of examinations, including:

• full inspection;
• blood analysis;
• Analysis of urine;
• pharyngoscopy;
• sowing films;
• determination of antibodies.

Reaction to vaccination with contraindications

When vaccinating in a situation where vaccination is contraindicated, with no known diseases, or while consuming alcohol before, after and on the day of vaccine administration, the risk and chance of complications appearing and developing increases tenfold.

Failure and then incorrect functioning of the immune system can lead to the development of pathological reactions of an inflammatory nature with the chance of aggression towards one’s own internal organs and fabrics.

A negative reaction of the body develops in response to the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the body. After vaccination, all people, regardless of age, need to undergo a course of antihistamine therapy for three days. This is done by reducing the activity of human immune antibodies. Preventive measure to reduce the risk of abnormal reactions of the body in this case, this is a course of drugs that limit the functioning of histamine cells for a period of up to five before vaccination.

The reaction to the vaccine begins as a shooting or nagging pain, redness of the skin in the form of a large red spot or swelling is possible. Subsequently, the person begins to develop a fever, general weakness of the body, and intoxication syndrome. If a person has not previously been diagnosed with any diseases, the risk of developing organic damage nervous system of the body. Possible joint damage or osteomyelitis.

The reaction to the vaccine begins to develop after the entire complex of vaccinations.

This is possible due to the fact that the immune system cannot adequately respond to the entry of a huge amount of pathogenic antibodies into the body. Vaccination requires a meticulous examination, the complete absence of pathologies, severe diseases and acute infections to prevent side effects.

Complications can begin with unexpected convulsions with severe hyperthermia or intoxication. Possible damage to the respiratory muscles with possible respiratory arrest. Diseases such as encephalitis or meningitis can also appear unexpectedly, accompanied by various symptoms, which requires immediate treatment and medical care.

Vaccination rules

How effective diphtheria vaccination will be depends on several factors. First of all, the quality of the injected whey is important. It is also important to consider how widespread the vaccinated population is. Data medical institutions During epidemics, they say that only when the percentage of vaccinated residents reaches 95 percent will the vaccine reach its maximum effectiveness.

After the vaccination was carried out, the injection site took the first couple of days. It is not advisable to rub or scratch the area, as this can lead to infection, swelling and redness of the skin in that area. A second course of antihistamines after vaccination will remove these effects and reduce the risk of their occurrence.

Drinking alcohol for three days before vaccination is prohibited. The vaccination should be done on an empty stomach, the last meal should be light, without fried or fatty foods. Ideally, vaccination should be carried out after complete cleansing of the intestines. A few days later you need to rest and also eat light food without spices, smoked meats, or exotic foods. For the first week after, you should not go to places with large crowds of people. Also bathe in water that is too hot and water with added salts.

Vaccination and its repeated use do not provide one hundred percent protection against diphtheria - no matter how old a person is, during an epidemic or prolonged exposure to a group with a carrier of the infection, the disease can still manifest itself.

Side effects

Side effects of vaccination may include:

1. General weakness of the body - the symptoms may be similar to a common cold or flu. A person begins to be lethargic, sleepy, and get tired quickly. This may last for about a week, but if after this the symptoms begin to progress rapidly, it is important to act immediately and immediately contact a specialist.
2. Soreness, swelling, or hardening of the area where the vaccine was given. Has no consequences. The drug will completely pass through this place in about a week, disperse throughout the body, along with which the painful sensations will go away.
3. Fever is possible during the first day after the injection. You can fight it with the same medications that help reduce fever during a cold or flu. If the temperature rises a significant time after vaccination, it is better to consult a doctor to find out what caused it.
4. Irritability and slight aggression are possible due to the fact that general state worsens due to the constant attacks of diphtheria infection on the human immune system. This also goes through several, at the moment when the immune system begins to steadily fight the infection.
5. There are also individual symptoms. This may occur due to the characteristics of the body or due to a previously unknown allergic reaction. For some, this may manifest as swelling or anaphylactic shock, and for some, it may simply result in a loss of appetite for a day or two. It may also be itching, a reaction on the skin, or increased sweating.

Complications after the diphtheria vaccine are possible only if the vaccination rules and contraindications are not followed. In other cases, only side effects are possible that do not pose a danger to the body. In medical circles, the diphtheria vaccine is considered one of the safest, since its side effects are similar only to a mild cold - they bring some discomfort, but quickly pass.