Common Questions About Vaccines
What Do Vaccines Do?
Vaccines work by preparing the body to fight illness. Each vaccine contains either a dead or a weakened germ (or parts of it) that causes a particular disease.
The body practices fighting the disease by making
that recognize specific parts of that germ. This permanent or long-lasting response means that if someone is exposed to the actual disease, the antibodies are in place and the body knows how to fight the disease so the person doesn’t get sick. This is called immunity.The process by which vaccines create immunity is known as immunization.
Since the start of widespread vaccinations in the United States, cases of once common childhood illnesses like measles and diphtheria have dropped greatly. Vaccines have protected millions of kids from dangerous diseases and saved thousands of lives.
In fact, some diseases are so rare now that parents sometimes ask if vaccines for them are even needed. But most diseases that can be prevented by vaccines do still exist in the world, even in the United States, although they happen very rarely.
Will the Immune System Be Weaker By Relying on a Vaccine?
No, the immune system makes antibodies against a germ, like the chickenpox virus, whether it encounters it naturally or through a vaccine. Being vaccinated against one disease does not weaken the immune response to another disease.
Can a Vaccine Give Someone the Disease It’s Supposed to Prevent?
It’s impossible to get the disease from any vaccine made with dead (killed) bacteria or viruses or just part of the bacteria or virus.
Only those vaccines made from weakened (also called attenuated) live viruses — like the chickenpox (varicella) and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines — could possibly make a child develop a mild form of the disease. But it’s almost always much less severe than if a child became infected with the disease-causing virus itself. However, for kids with weak immune systems, such as those being treated for cancer, these vaccines may cause problems.
The risk of disease from vaccination is very small. One live virus vaccine that’s no longer used in the United States is the oral polio vaccine (OPV). The success of the polio vaccination program made it possible to replace OPV with the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which contains a killed virus form. This change means that polio disease cannot be spread by vaccinated U.S. children. OPV is still used in many other countries, though, with great success in reducing the number of cases worldwide.
Does My Child Need Vaccines if All the Other Kids in School Are Immunized?
It is true that a single child’s chance of catching a disease is low if everyone else is fully vaccinated (immunized). But your child is also exposed to people other than those at school. And if one person thinks about skipping vaccines, chances are that others are thinking the same thing. Each child who isn’t immunized gives highly contagious diseases one more chance to spread.
Although vaccination rates are fairly high in the United States, there’s no sure way to know if everyone your child has contact with has been vaccinated. That’s especially true now that so many people travel to and from other countries. During travel, someone could be exposed to people who got OPV in other countries, which can be risky for anyone who didn’t get all their polio vaccines. So the best way to protect your kids is through vaccination.
Can Getting So Many Vaccines at One Time Harm My Baby?
Babies have stronger immune systems than you might think, and they can handle far more germs than what they receive from vaccines. In fact, the amount of germs in vaccines is just a small percentage of the germs babies’ immune systems deal with every day.
Sometimes, kids can have a reaction to a vaccine like a mild fever or rash. But the risk of serious reactions is small compared with the health risks from the often-serious diseases they prevent, and do not happen because the baby got several vaccines at once.
A lot of consideration and research went into creating the immunization schedule most doctors use, and it has been proven safe time and time again. Still, some parents choose to use alternative schedules (spreading or "spacing out" vaccines) because they’re concerned about the number of shots their babies get at each checkup. This is actually more likely to make a baby sick. Studies show that many babies on alternative immunization schedules never get all the vaccines they need.
Plus, alternative schedules can be a real hassle. Spacing out vaccines over more doctor visits means that you’ll have to take your child to the doctor — and your child will have to get a shot — more often.
Why Should My Child Get a Painful Shot if Vaccines Aren’t 100% Effective?
Few things in medicine work 100% of the time. But vaccines are one of the most effective weapons we have against disease — they work in 85% to 99% of cases. They greatly reduce your child’s risk of serious illness (particularly when more and more people are vaccinated) and give diseases fewer chances to take hold in a population.
Why Do Healthy Kids Need to Be Immunized?
Vaccinations are intended to help keep healthy kids healthy. Because vaccines work by protecting the body before disease strikes, if you wait until your child gets sick, it will be too late for the vaccine to work. The best time to immunize kids is when they’re healthy.
Can Vaccines Cause a Bad Reaction in My Child?
The most common reactions to vaccines are minor and include:
- redness and swelling where the shot was given
- soreness at the site where the shot was given
In rare cases, vaccines can trigger more serious problems, such as seizures or severe allergic reactions. If your child has a history of allergies to food or medicine, or has had a problem with a vaccine before, let the doctor know before any vaccines are given. Every year, millions of kids are safely vaccinated and very few experience serious side effects.
Research continually improves vaccine safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now advises doctors to use a diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine that includes only specific parts of the pertussis cell instead of the entire killed cell. This vaccine, called DTaP, has been associated with even fewer side effects.
Do Vaccines or Thimerosal Cause Autism?
No. Many studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Likewise, a groundbreaking 2004 report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that thimerosal (an organic mercury compound that’s been used as a preservative in vaccines since the 1930s) does not cause autism.
Still, some parents have opted not to have their children immunized, putting them at great risk for deadly diseases.
The MMR vaccine, especially, has come under fire even though many scientific reports have found no evidence linking the vaccine to autism. In fact, the study that suggested a possible link between autism and the MMR vaccine was retracted in 2004 and the doctor who published it lost his medical license. Even before it was discredited and declared fraudulent, the study was rejected by all major health organizations, including the AAP, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
There’s also no reason to believe that thimerosal is linked to autism, according to the 2004 IOM report. Still, in an effort to reduce childhood exposure to mercury and other heavy metals, thimerosal began being removed from kids’ vaccines in 1999. Now, vaccines for infants and young children contain no or very little thimerosal. And recent studies have not shown any cognitive and behavioral problems in babies who might have gotten these thimerosal-containing vaccines.
So what could explain the increased rates of autism in recent years? First, a broader definition of autism now can apply to more kids who show varying degrees of symptoms. A greater awareness of the condition among health professionals also has led to more diagnoses.
And while the number of children diagnosed with autism may be increasing, the rates of MMR vaccination are not. In London, diagnoses of autistic disorders have been on the rise since 1979, but rates of MMR vaccination haven’t increased since routine MMR vaccination began in 1988.
Also, the average age of diagnosis of autism is the same both in children who have and who have not gotten the MMR vaccine. What many researchers are seeing is that a child might have subtle signs of autism before the first birthday — sometimes even in early infancy — but these aren’t noticed by parents until they become more obvious.
Wasn’t There a Problem With the Rotavirus Vaccine?
Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in young children. In 1999, a rotavirus vaccine was taken off the market because it was linked to an increased risk for intussusception, a type of bowel problem, in babies.
Now, two different rotavirus vaccines (RotaTeq and Rotarix) are available and are very safe. Some studies suggest that they have a very small increased risk for intussusception, but that problem is rare. These vaccines have been shown to prevent most cases of rotavirus infection and almost all severe cases.
The vaccine is now on the regular immunization schedule to be given orally to infants as a liquid during standard vaccination visits — RotaTeq at ages 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months, or Rotarix at ages 2 months and 4 months. Your doctor will have the most current information.
Do Vaccines Cause SIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, Or Other Problems?
There are concerns, many of which circulate on the Internet, linking some vaccines to multiple sclerosis, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and other problems. To date, studies have not shown any connection between vaccines and these conditions. The number of SIDS cases has actually fallen by more than 50% in recent years, while the number of vaccines given yearly continues to rise.
Why Do Kids Need Vaccines for a Disease That’s Been Eliminated?
Diseases that are rare or wiped out in the United States, like measles and polio, still exist in other parts of the world. Doctors continue to vaccinate against them because it’s easy to come into contact with illnesses through travel — either when Americans travel abroad or when people who aren’t fully immunized come to the United States.
In recent years, there have been measles outbreaks in many different states, even though measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. (Elimination means that the disease has not been transmitted continuously for over a year, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t outbreaks.) These cases were mostly among people who did not get vaccinated. Other preventable diseases that had recent outbreaks include whooping cough (pertussis) and mumps.
It’s only safe to stop vaccinations for a particular disease when that disease has been eliminated worldwide, as with smallpox.
How Long Does Immunity Last After Getting a Vaccine?
A few vaccines, like the two for measles or the series for hepatitis B, may make you immune for your entire life. Others, like tetanus, last for many years but require periodic shots (boosters) for continued protection against the disease.
The whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine also does not give lifelong immunity, and that may be one reason why outbreaks still happen. Whooping cough isn’t a serious problem for older kids and adults, but it can be for infants and young children. Because of this, teens and adults now get a pertussis booster along with the tetanus and diphtheria booster (Tdap) — an important step in controlling this infection, particularly for pregnant women and other adults who will be around newborn babies.
It’s important to keep a record of vaccinations so the doctor knows when your kids are due for a booster. Also make sure your kids get the flu vaccine each year. Last year’s flu vaccine won’t protect someone from getting the flu this year because flu viruses constantly change. The vaccine is updated each year to include the most current strains of the virus.
The flu vaccine reduces the average person’s chances of catching the flu by up to 80%. It can’t prevent infection by all viruses that can cause flu-like symptoms, though, so it’s not a guarantee that someone won’t get sick during flu season. Still, if a person who got the vaccine gets the flu, their symptoms usually will be fewer and milder.
How Are Vaccines Studied and Improved?
The FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research is the government agency that regulates vaccines in the United States. Working with the CDC and the NIH, they continuously research and monitor vaccine safety and effectiveness.
New vaccines are licensed only after thorough lab studies and clinical trials, and safety monitoring continues even after they’re approved. There continue to be improvements (such as those already made to the DTaP and polio vaccines) that ease potential side effects and ensure the best possible safety standards.
Where Can I Get Affordable Vaccines for My Child?
Vaccines are one of the best tools we have to keep kids healthy. But they work best when everyone gets them. Vaccines are now required to be covered by health insurance plans at no cost to the patient. Some plans only cover vaccines when they are given by your doctor or at specific locations. So check with your insurance company to make sure. You can also get inexpensive or free vaccines through many local public health clinics and community health centers, and campaigns to vaccinate kids often hold free vaccination days.
The U.S. government’s Vaccines for Children program covers Medicaid-eligible, uninsured Alaskan and Native American populations, and some underinsured kids for routine vaccinations up to 18 years of age. The vaccines are provided by the government and given in a doctor’s office. But the doctor’s visit itself is not covered (unless the child has insurance, including Medicaid). Some public health clinics may cover both the visit and the vaccinations.
Where Can I Learn More About Vaccines?
And talk with your doctor about which vaccines your kids need. Working together, you can help keep your family healthy.
Maswali ya kawaida kuhusu chanjo - Je, chanjo zinafanya nini? Chanjo hufanya kazi kwa kutayarisha mwili kupambana na ugonjwa. Kila chanjo ina bakteria iliyokufa au iliyodhoofika (au sehemu zake) inayosababisha ugonjwa fulani. Mwili hupigana na ugonjwa kwa kufanya sehemu fulani za bakteria hiyo zitambuliwe. "Jibu hili la kudumu au la muda mrefu linamaanisha kwamba ikiwa mtu amewekwa wazi kwa ugonjwa halisi, ""antibodies"" ziko mahali na mwili unajua jinsi ya kupambana na ugonjwa ili mtu asije akawa mgonjwa." "Mchakato ambao chanjo huunda kinga unajulikana kama ""kinga.""" Tangu kuanza kwa chanjo za kuenea nchini Marekani, visa vya magonjwa ya utotoni kama vile surua na diphtheria vimepungua sana. Chanjo zimelinda mamilioni ya watoto dhidi ya magonjwa hatari na kuokoa maelfu ya maisha. Kwa kweli, magonjwa fulani ni nadra sana sasa hivi kwamba nyakati nyingine wazazi huuliza ikiwa chanjo kwa ajili yao inahitajika hata kidogo. "Hata hivyo, ""magonjwa mengi yanayoweza kuzuiwa na chanjo bado yanapatikana duniani, hata nchini Marekani, ingawa yanatokea mara chache sana.""" Je, Mfumo wa Kinga Utakuwa dhaifu Kwa Kutegemea Chanjo? Mfumo wa kinga hufanya antibodies dhidi ya virusi kama virusi vya chickenpox, iwe ni kwa njia ya asili au kupitia chanjo. Kupigwa chanjo dhidi ya ugonjwa mmoja hakudhoofishi uwezo wa kinga dhidi ya ugonjwa mwingine. Je, Chanjo Inaweza Kumfanya Mtu Apate Ugonjwa Unaopaswa Kuzuia? Haiwezekani kupata ugonjwa kutoka kwa chanjo yoyote iliyotengenezwa na bakteria au virusi vilivyouawa au sehemu tu ya bakteria au virusi. Ni chanjo hizo tu zilizotengenezwa kutokana na virusi hai vilivyo dhaifu (vilevile vinavyoitwa vilivyodhoofishwa) - kama vile chanjo ya ugonjwa wa chickenpox (varicella) na chanjo ya measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) - ambazo zinaweza kumfanya mtoto apate aina laini ya ugonjwa huo. Lakini karibu sikuzote ni mbaya zaidi kuliko ikiwa mtoto aliambukizwa virusi vinavyosababisha ugonjwa huo. Hata hivyo, kwa watoto wenye mfumo dhaifu wa kinga, kama vile wale wanaotibiwa kwa kansa, chanjo hizi zinaweza kusababisha matatizo. Hatari ya kuambukizwa ugonjwa kutokana na chanjo ni ndogo sana. Chanjo moja ya virusi hai ambayo haitumiki tena nchini Marekani ni chanjo ya polio ya mdomo (OPV). Kwa sababu ya mafanikio ya mpango wa chanjo ya polio, inaweza kubadilishwa na chanjo ya polio iliyoondolewa (IPV) ambayo ina virusi vilivyokufa. Mabadiliko hayo yanamaanisha kwamba ugonjwa wa polio hauwezi kuenea kwa watoto wa Marekani waliopewa chanjo. Hata hivyo, bado kuna nchi nyingi ambazo zinatumia dawa hiyo, na imefanikiwa sana kupunguza idadi ya wagonjwa ulimwenguni pote. Je, Mtoto Wangu Anahitaji Chanjo Ikiwa Watoto Wengine Wote Shuleni Wamechanjwa? Ni kweli kwamba uwezekano wa mtoto mmoja kupata ugonjwa ni mdogo ikiwa kila mtu mwingine amepatiwa chanjo kamili (kuchanja). Lakini mtoto wako pia anawasiliana na watu wengine mbali na wale wa shule. Ikiwa mtu anafikiria juu ya kutoroka chanjo, kuna uwezekano kwamba wengine wanafikiria kitu hicho hicho. Kila mtoto ambaye hajachanjwa hutoa ugonjwa wa kuambukiza sana nafasi moja zaidi ya kuenea. Ingawa viwango vya chanjo ni vya juu sana nchini Marekani, hakuna njia ya uhakika ya kujua kama kila mtu ambaye mtoto wako anashirikiana naye amepata chanjo. Hilo ni kweli hasa sasa wakati ambapo watu wengi sana husafiri kwenda na kutoka nchi nyingine. Wakati wa kusafiri, mtu anaweza kuambukizwa na watu waliopata OPV katika nchi nyingine, ambayo inaweza kuwa hatari kwa mtu yeyote ambaye hakupata chanjo zote za polio. Njia bora ya kuwalinda watoto wako ni kupitia chanjo. Je, Kupokea Chanjo Nyingi Kwa Wakati Mmoja Kunaweza Kumdhuru Mtoto Wangu? Watoto wana mfumo wa kinga wenye nguvu kuliko unavyofikiri, na wanaweza kushughulikia vijidudu vingi kuliko vinavyopatikana kwa chanjo. Kwa kweli, kiasi cha vijidudu katika chanjo ni asilimia ndogo tu ya vijidudu ambavyo mfumo wa kinga wa watoto hushughulika navyo kila siku. Wakati mwingine, watoto wanaweza kuwa na athari kwa chanjo kama homa ndogo au mchochota. Lakini hatari ya athari mbaya ni ndogo ikilinganishwa na hatari za afya kutoka kwa magonjwa ya kawaida ambayo huzuia, na hayafanyiki kwa sababu mtoto anapata chanjo kadhaa kwa wakati mmoja. Utafiti na utafiti mwingi ulichukuliwa ili kuunda ratiba ya chanjo ambayo madaktari wengi hutumia, na imethibitishwa kuwa salama mara kwa mara. Hata hivyo, wazazi fulani huchagua kutumia ratiba mbadala (kueneza au "kugawa" chanjo) kwa sababu wana wasiwasi kuhusu idadi ya chanjo ambazo watoto wao hupokea katika kila uchunguzi. Hii ni kweli uwezekano mkubwa wa kufanya mtoto mgonjwa. Uchunguzi unaonyesha kwamba watoto wengi wanaopokea chanjo mbadala hawapati chanjo zote wanazohitaji. Isitoshe, ratiba mbadala zaweza kuwa tatizo kubwa. Kugawa chanjo juu ya ziara zaidi za daktari inamaanisha kwamba utalazimika kumchukua mtoto wako kwa daktari na mtoto wako atalazimika kupata chanjo mara nyingi zaidi. Kwa nini Mtoto Wangu Aipokee Chanjo Inayomdhuru Ikiwa Chanjo Haifanyi Kazi 100%? Kuna mambo machache katika dawa ambayo hufanya kazi kwa asilimia 100. """Tunahitaji chanjo ili kuepuka magonjwa, lakini chanjo ni moja ya silaha bora zaidi dhidi ya magonjwa, inafanya kazi katika asilimia 85 hadi 99 ya kesi." Hizi hupunguza sana hatari ya mtoto wako ya ugonjwa mbaya (haswa wakati watu wengi zaidi na zaidi wanapewa chanjo) na kutoa nafasi chache za magonjwa kuenea katika idadi ya watu. Kwa Nini Watoto Wenye Afya Wahitaji Kupatiwa Chanjo? Chanjo ni muhimu kwa watoto wenye afya. Kwa sababu chanjo hufanya kazi kwa kulinda mwili kabla ya ugonjwa kuambukiza, ikiwa unangoja mpaka mtoto wako awe mgonjwa, itakuwa kuchelewa sana kwa chanjo kufanya kazi. Wakati bora wa kuwa chanjo kwa watoto ni wakati wanapokuwa na afya. Je, Chanjo Zinaweza Kumfanya Mtoto Wangu Ajihisi Mbaya? Madhara ya kawaida ya chanjo ni ya chini na ni pamoja na: - nyekundu na uvimbe mahali ambapo chanjo ilitolewa - uchungu mahali ambapo chanjo ilitolewa Katika kesi nadra, chanjo inaweza kusababisha matatizo makubwa zaidi, kama vile mshtuko wa moyo au athari kali za mzio. Ikiwa mtoto wako ana historia ya mzio wa chakula au dawa, au amekuwa na tatizo na chanjo kabla, mwambie daktari kabla ya chanjo yoyote kutolewa. Kila mwaka, mamilioni ya watoto hupatiwa chanjo salama na ni wachache sana wanaopata athari mbaya. Utafiti huongeza usalama wa chanjo daima. Chuo cha Marekani cha Pediatrics (AAP) sasa kinashauri madaktari kutumia chanjo ya diphtheria, tetanus, na pertussis ambayo inajumuisha sehemu maalum tu za seli ya pertussis badala ya seli nzima iliyouawa. Chanjo hiyo, inayoitwa DTaP, imehusianishwa na athari chache zaidi za upande. Je, Chanjo au Thimerosal Husababisha Ugonjwa wa Kujiua? La, sivyo. Uchunguzi mwingi haujapata uhusiano kati ya chanjo na ugonjwa wa akili. Ripoti ya mwaka 2004 ya Taasisi ya Tiba (IOM) iligundua kwamba thimerosal (kiunganishi cha kikaboni cha zebaki ambacho kimetumika kama kihifadhi katika chanjo tangu miaka ya 1930) haisababishi ugonjwa wa akili. Hata hivyo, wazazi fulani wameamua kutowachanja watoto wao, na hivyo kuwaweka katika hatari kubwa ya kupatwa na magonjwa yenye kuua. Chanjo ya MMR imepigwa risasi, ingawa ripoti nyingi za kisayansi hazijapata ushahidi wowote unaounganisha chanjo hiyo na ugonjwa wa akili. Utafiti huo uliodhani kuna uhusiano kati ya ugonjwa wa akili na chanjo ya MMR uliondolewa mwaka 2004 na daktari aliyechapisha utafiti huo alipoteza leseni yake ya kufanya kazi. Hata kabla ya kutambuliwa kuwa ni udanganyifu, utafiti huo ulikataliwa na mashirika yote makubwa ya afya, ikiwa ni pamoja na AAP, Taasisi za Kitaifa za Afya (NIH), Vituo vya Kudhibiti na Kuzuia Magonjwa (CDC), na Shirika la Afya Ulimwenguni (WHO). Kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya IOM ya mwaka 2004, hakuna sababu ya kuamini kwamba thimerosal inahusiana na ugonjwa wa akili. Kwa sababu ya kuathiriwa na sumu ya mercury na metali nyingine nzito, thimerosal iliondolewa kwenye chanjo za watoto. Kwa sasa, chanjo za watoto wachanga na watoto wadogo hazina thimerosal au zina kiasi kidogo sana. Utafiti wa hivi karibuni haujathibitisha kuwa kuna tatizo lolote la utambuzi au tabia kwa watoto ambao wamepokea chanjo ya thimerosal. Kwa hiyo, ni nini kinachoweza kueleza ongezeko la visa vya ugonjwa wa akili katika miaka ya karibuni? Kwanza, ufafanuzi mpana zaidi wa ugonjwa wa akili sasa waweza kutumika kwa watoto wengi zaidi ambao huonyesha viwango tofauti-tofauti vya dalili. Ujuzi mkubwa wa hali hiyo miongoni mwa wataalamu wa afya pia umesababisha utambuzi zaidi. Ingawa idadi ya watoto wanaogunduliwa kuwa na ugonjwa wa akili inaongezeka, idadi ya watoto wanaopatiwa chanjo ya MMR haiongezeki. Katika London, utambuzi wa magonjwa ya autism umekuwa ukiongezeka tangu 1979, lakini viwango vya chanjo ya MMR havijaongezeka tangu chanjo ya kawaida ya MMR ilianza mnamo 1988. Kwa mfano, umri wa kawaida wa kugundua ugonjwa wa akili ni sawa kwa watoto ambao wamepokea chanjo ya MMR. Watafiti wengi wanaona kwamba mtoto anaweza kuwa na dalili ndogo za ugonjwa wa akili kabla ya siku yake ya kuzaliwa ya kwanza - wakati mwingine hata katika utotoni - lakini hizi hazijulikani na wazazi mpaka zinapokuwa dhahiri zaidi. Je, Hakukuwa na Tatizo na Chanjo ya Rotavirus? Rotavirus ni mojawapo ya visababishi vya kawaida vya kuhara kwa watoto wadogo. Chanjo ya rotavirus iliondolewa soko mwaka 1999 kwa sababu ilihusianishwa na hatari ya kuongezeka kwa ugonjwa wa intestinal uharibifu kwa watoto wachanga. Sasa, chanjo mbili tofauti za rotavirus (RotaTeq na Rotarix) zinapatikana na ni salama sana. Uchunguzi fulani unaonyesha kwamba wao wana hatari ndogo sana ya kupata uvimbe, lakini tatizo hilo ni nadra. Chanjo hizi zimeonyeshwa kuzuia visa vingi vya maambukizi ya rotavirus na karibu visa vyote vikali. Chanjo hiyo sasa iko kwenye ratiba ya kawaida ya chanjo ya kupewa kwa mdomo kwa watoto wachanga kama kioevu wakati wa ziara za kawaida za chanjo - RotaTec katika umri wa miezi 2, miezi 4 na miezi 6 au Rotarix katika umri wa miezi 2 na miezi 4. Daktari wako atakuwa na habari za sasa zaidi. Je, Chanjo Husababisha Ugonjwa wa SIDS, Sclerosis, au Matatizo Mengine? Kuna wasiwasi, wengi wao unazunguka kwenye mtandao, unaounganisha baadhi ya chanjo na ugonjwa wa multiple sclerosis, ugonjwa wa kifo cha ghafula cha watoto wachanga (SIDS), na matatizo mengine. Hadi sasa, utafiti haujathibitisha uhusiano wowote kati ya chanjo na hali hizo. Idadi ya visa vya SIDS imepungua kwa zaidi ya asilimia 50 katika miaka ya hivi karibuni, wakati idadi ya chanjo zinazotolewa kila mwaka inaendelea kuongezeka. Kwa Nini Watoto Wanahitaji Chanjo Kwa Ugonjwa Uliopotea? Magonjwa ambayo ni nadra au yameangamizwa nchini Marekani, kama vile surua na polio, bado yapo katika sehemu nyingine za ulimwengu. Madaktari wanaendelea kuwa chanjo dhidi yao kwa sababu ni rahisi kuwasiliana na magonjwa kupitia kusafiri - ama wakati Wamarekani kusafiri nje ya nchi au wakati watu ambao si kikamilifu chanjo kuja Marekani. Katika miaka ya hivi karibuni, kumekuwa na milipuko ya ugonjwa wa surua katika majimbo mengi tofauti, ingawa ugonjwa wa surua ulitangazwa kuwa umepigwa marufuku nchini Marekani mwaka wa 2000. (Uondolewaji unamaanisha kwamba ugonjwa huo haujasafirishwa kwa kuendelea kwa zaidi ya mwaka mmoja, lakini haimaanishi kwamba hakuna milipuko.) Matukio haya yalikuwa hasa miongoni mwa watu ambao hawakuchukuliwa chanjo. Magonjwa mengine yanayoweza kuepukwa ambayo yamesababisha mlipuko hivi karibuni yanatia ndani kikohozi (pertussis) na kifafa. Ni salama tu kuacha chanjo kwa ugonjwa fulani wakati ugonjwa huo umepigwa marufuku ulimwenguni pote, kama ilivyo na ugonjwa wa ndui. Kinga Huendelea Muda Gani Baada ya Kupatiwa Chanjo? Chanjo chache, kama vile mbili za chanjo ya surua au mfululizo wa chanjo ya ugonjwa wa ini B, zinaweza kukufanya uwe na kinga kwa maisha yako yote. Vingine, kama vile tetanasi, huendelea kwa miaka mingi lakini huhitaji chanjo za mara kwa mara (booster) kwa ajili ya ulinzi wa kuendelea dhidi ya ugonjwa huo. Chanjo ya pertussis pia haitoi kinga ya maisha yote, na hiyo inaweza kuwa moja ya sababu kwa nini milipuko bado hutokea. Kikohozi cha kikohozi si tatizo kubwa kwa watoto wakubwa na watu wazima, lakini linaweza kuwa tatizo kwa watoto wachanga na watoto wadogo. Kwa sababu hii, vijana na watu wazima sasa hupata booster ya pertussis pamoja na booster ya tetanasi na diphtheria (TDAP), hatua muhimu katika kudhibiti maambukizi haya, haswa kwa wanawake wajawazito na watu wazima wengine ambao watakuwa karibu na watoto wachanga. Ni muhimu kuweka rekodi ya chanjo ili daktari ajue wakati watoto wako wanastahili chanjo ya ziada. Pia hakikisha watoto wako wanapata chanjo ya mafua kila mwaka. Chanjo ya mafua ya mwaka jana haitamlinda mtu dhidi ya kupata mafua mwaka huu kwa sababu virusi vya mafua hubadilika daima. Chanjo hiyo husasishwa kila mwaka ili kutia ndani aina za virusi vya sasa zaidi. Chanjo ya mafua ya kawaida hupunguza uwezekano wa mtu kupata mafua kwa hadi 80%. Hawezi kuzuia maambukizi ya virusi vyote vinavyoweza kusababisha dalili kama za mafua, ingawa, kwa hivyo sio dhamana kwamba mtu hatakuwa mgonjwa wakati wa msimu wa mafua. Hata hivyo, ikiwa mtu aliyepokea chanjo anapata mafua, kwa kawaida dalili zake zitakuwa chache na za upole. Chanjo Zinachunguzwa na Kuboreshwaje? Kituo cha Tathmini na Utafiti wa Biolojia cha FDA ni shirika la serikali linaloongoza na kudhibiti chanjo nchini Marekani. Kwa kushirikiana na CDC na NIH, wanafanya utafiti na ufuatiliaji wa usalama na ufanisi wa chanjo. Chanjo mpya huruhusiwa tu baada ya masomo ya maabara na majaribio ya kliniki, na ufuatiliaji wa usalama unaendelea hata baada ya kupitishwa. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""mabadiliko yanaendelea (kama yale yaliyotengenezwa tayari kwa chanjo za DTP na polio) ambayo hupunguza athari za upande zinazowezekana na kuhakikisha viwango bora vya usalama.""" Ninaweza Kupata Ambapo Chanjo za Mtoto Wangu Zinazopatikana kwa Bei ya Kiasi? Chanjo ni moja ya njia bora za kuwa na afya nzuri kwa watoto. Lakini zinafanya kazi vizuri zaidi wakati kila mtu anapozipata. Sasa chanjo zinahitajika kufunikwa na mipango ya bima ya afya bila gharama kwa mgonjwa. Baadhi ya mipango inashughulikia tu chanjo wakati zinatolewa na daktari wako au katika maeneo maalum. Kwa hiyo, tafadhali angalia na kampuni yako ya bima ili uhakikishe. Unaweza pia kupata chanjo za bei nafuu au za bure kupitia kliniki nyingi za afya ya umma za mitaa na vituo vya afya vya jamii, na kampeni za chanjo ya watoto mara nyingi hufanya siku za chanjo ya bure. Programu ya Serikali ya Marekani ya chanjo kwa watoto inashughulikia watu wa Alaska na Wenyeji wa Asili wa Amerika wasio na bima, wanaostahili Medicaid, na baadhi ya watoto wasio na bima kwa chanjo za kawaida hadi umri wa miaka 18. Chanjo hizo hutolewa na serikali na hutolewa katika ofisi ya daktari. Lakini ziara ya daktari yenyewe haifai (kama mtoto hana bima, ikiwa ni pamoja na Medicaid). Baadhi ya kliniki za afya za umma zinaweza kufunika ziara na chanjo zote mbili. Ninaweza Kujifunza Zaidi Kuhusu Chanjo? Zungumza na daktari wako kuhusu chanjo ambazo watoto wako wanahitaji. Kwa kufanya kazi pamoja, unaweza kusaidia kudumisha afya ya familia yako.