The condition of the Covid-19 pandemic that has not been resolved to date certainly makes everyone worried, especially for parents who have children. In order to protect your little one from the Covid-19 virus, it's not enough just to apply 5M (washing hands, keeping your distance, wearing a mask, staying away from crowds, reducing mobility) but also needing a good diet, getting enough rest, sunbathing and complete vaccinations .
Why is vaccination necessary during this pandemic? Your little one's body needs the help of vaccines to create immunity against certain diseases. This does not mean that if you have been vaccinated you will definitely not get sick, but if you catch a disease, of course, the symptoms will be milder than children who have not been vaccinated or have not received a complete vaccination.
While waiting for the Covid-19 vaccine for children under 12 years of age, let's continue and complete our baby's vaccinations. Of course while implementing health protocols, child vaccination will go well, safely and smoothly.
Then what are the benefits of each immunization in children?
- Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent liver infection due to the hepatitis B virus which can cause mild illness that lasts for several weeks, or can also result in serious illness that lasts a lifetime.
- Polio vaccine to prevent polio in children. Most people infected with polio have mild or no symptoms. However, some infections can be very serious and cause paralysis or immobilization of certain parts of the body, such as the arms, legs or respiratory muscles. There is no cure for polio infection.
- BCG vaccine to prevent TB or tuberculosis, which is caused by infection with the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.
- The DPT vaccine is a combination vaccine to prevent three diseases, namely diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.
- PCV vaccine to prevent diseases such as pneumonia (pneumonia), inflammation of the lining of the brain (meningitis) and blood infections (bacteremia)
- Rotavirus vaccine to protect children from gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines), which is indicated by symptoms such as acute diarrhea, vomiting, fever, difficulty eating and drinking children and abdominal pain.
- Influenza vaccine to prevent flu that attacks the respiratory tract.
- MR/MMR vaccine to prevent measles, rubella and mumps.
- Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine to prevent brain inflammation.
- Varicella vaccine to prevent chicken pox or chickenpox.
- Hepatitis A vaccine to prevent inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus.
- Polysaccharide typhoid vaccine to prevent typhus.
- The HPV vaccine prevents the Human Papillomavirus which causes skin infections, including genital warts.
Then what is the impact if our children do not get the vaccine? Children who are not immunized have a higher risk of developing complications that can cause disability or even death. This is because the body does not have a special defense system that can protect the body from certain dangerous diseases, so germs will more easily multiply and infect a child's body.
Article written by dr. Caroline Mulawi, Sp.A who is a pediatrician at EMC Pulomas Hospital.