Vaccination is a global health success story. It saves millions of lives every year. Vaccines reduce the risk of disease. When you receive a vaccination, the body produces protective antibodies.
Vaccination is a simple, safe and effective way to protect against dangerous diseases before exposure to them, as well as to prevent complications that these diseases can cause.
According to the World Health Organization, vaccination prevents 3.5 to 5 million deaths each year from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza and measles. Children and adults who do not have vaccinations at all or who have missed any of the vaccinations on schedule are especially vulnerable to such diseases. Vaccines are now available to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer and healthier lives.
Therefore, it is important to follow the National Calendar of preventive vaccinations. This is a document containing a list of mandatory preventive vaccinations and the optimal dates for their administration. In Ukraine, the National calendar of preventive vaccinations provides for immunization against 10 diseases: tuberculosis, hepatitis B, measles, epidemic parotitis (mumps), rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis and Hib infection.
When and what to vaccinate?
· Hepatitis B: during the first day of life, and then at 2 and 6 months.
· Tuberculosis: one vaccination between 3 and 5 days of life.
· Measles, mumps, rubella: at 12 months and 6 years.
· Diphtheria, tetanus: at 2, 4, 6, 18 months, 6 and 16 years. Adults vaccinated according to the calendar need revaccination against diphtheria and tetanus every 10 years: at 26, 36, 46, 56, and so on.
Whooping cough: at 2, 4, 6, 18 months.
Polio: inactivated vaccine (IPV) at 2 and 4 months, oral polio vaccine (OPV) at 6 and 18 months, and 6 and 14 years.
Hib infection: at 2, 4 and 12 months.
All vaccines provided by the National Calendar of preventive vaccinations are available in Ukraine and are free of charge. So make sure your child has all the necessary vaccinations for their age. Remember whether you have received diphtheria and tetanus boosters within the last 10 years.
Also take care of vaccination (including booster doses) against COVID-19 - it is not included in the National Calendar, but it is also available and free of charge.
If you or your children have a broken vaccination schedule (missed one of the vaccinations), this does not mean that you need to start the immunization course all over again. However, it is extremely important to catch up on missed vaccinations as soon as possible, regardless of how much time has passed. So consult a therapist, family doctor or pediatrician - a specialist will help you make an individual schedule of vaccinations.
(With the use of materials from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and WHO)
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