The Russian national immunization schedule provides for tuberculosis vaccination (BCG) in the first days of a child's life. However, anti-vaccination propaganda, widespread both throughout the world and in Russia, is bearing fruit. More and more parents refuse vaccination, including BCG, while not always realizing the possible consequences of their decisions.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, in particular Koch's bacillus, and affecting various organs: lungs, kidneys, lymph nodes, skin, intestines, bones. Tuberculosis can occur in an open form, potentially dangerous to others, and closed, when the patient is practically not contagious. However, a latent infection often spills over into an active form.
According to the World Health Organization, about 2 billion people worldwide are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although today this disease is successfully treated with early detection, it is still better to have cellular immunity in order to prevent the development of the disease, and such protection can be obtained with the help of BCG vaccination.
BCG vaccination is designed to provide an adequate immune response of the body to tuberculosis pathogens. However, it is important to understand that, unlike other vaccines, BCG does not 100% protect against disease. Its mechanism of action is to produce antibodies to prevent severe and deadly forms of tuberculosis, such as miliary or disseminated tuberculosis, and tuberculous meningitis. In other words, even if you have BCG vaccination, you can get sick with tuberculosis through contact with a patient in an open form, poor social conditions, insufficient nutrition and other prerequisites, but the likelihood of recovery will be higher than if you do not have immunity to mycobacterium.
Opponents of BCG vaccination cite as a justification for their position the fact that many countries have refused this vaccination, as well as the opinion that tuberculosis threatens only socially disadvantaged citizens and is generally rare. However, morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis in Russia is still quite high, on average 3 times higher than, for example, in European countries. The chance to meet an infection is always and everywhere: in the clinic, in the store, on public transport and even on the playground. Therefore, children are vaccinated with BCG for 3-7 days of life in order to protect the still weak and unprotected body of the infant from infection with dangerous microbes and reduce the risk of the disease.
Often, parents' fear of vaccinations is associated with possible complications after the injection. But for BCG vaccination there are a number of contraindications, in the presence of which the vaccination is postponed or not done at all: prematurity, hemolytic disease of the newborn, acute diseases, lesions of the nervous system, etc. Healthy children usually tolerate the BCG vaccine well, the exceptions are the individual characteristics of the child's body, but their manifestation is impossible to predict.
Today, vaccination is a voluntary matter: each parent has the right to choose whether to give a child the BCG vaccine or not. However, first it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons, realize the possible risks and make a decision that is most favorable for the baby.
