We continue with the series of entries that we started a few months ago to talk about vaccines, one by one, and today is the turn of one that is part of one of the most controversial vaccines: rubella vaccine, which is part of the viral triple, next to that of measles and mumps.
The rubella vaccine It is currently administered at the age of 12 months. A few years ago he used to get at 15 months, but since measles increased again as a result of decreases in vaccine coverage and several outbreaks appeared, he went ahead at 12 months to protect the babies before.
It is a vaccine that requires a second dose of recall, which according to the AEP should be administered by 2-3 years, but that in many centers is left even up to 4 years (in my city it is administered at this age).
Protection, as in many other vaccines, is not always for life, and some women must get vaccinated again in adulthood, because rubella is a disease that, if suffered during pregnancy, can cause an abortion or the so-called congenital rubella syndrome, in which the baby suffers malformations and developmental difficulties.
What is rubella?
It is a disease caused by a virus, which spreads through the air or by direct contact. The symptoms are usually mild, with malaise, headache and fever being common, in addition to a rash similar to that seen with measles (in fact, rubella is also called German measles). Children have fewer symptoms than adults and usually pass it in a mild way.
Explained in this way it seems an even more harmless virus than chicken pox, and yet there is a vaccine for everyone. This is because it's more contagious (still), because the disease is transmitted from one week before the rash appears (one week before the person knows that he has the disease and is contagious) until one or two weeks after the symptoms have disappeared.
When infecting for so long, and being such a dangerous disease in case of pregnancy, it is very important to prevent it so that an outbreak does not occur that puts adults and, above all, pregnant women at risk.
Being a virus, there is no treatment. The only thing that can be done to avoid it is to try to prevent its spread through universal vaccination, vaccinating all children and also vaccinating women of childbearing age who have lost immunity over the years.
Where is it administered?
When administered after 12 months, when babies are already standing or even walking, it is advisable not to administer it on the leg, so that they do not complain when walking and do not limp. At that age he puts himself in the arm, subcutaneously, usually in the triceps area. If the person who is going to receive it does not have coagulation problems (children do not usually), it can also be administered intramuscularly, in the shoulder, in the deltoid muscle.
Rubella vaccine side effects
The rubella vaccine, when accompanied by other vaccines, can produce side effects derived from rubella, but also from the accompanying vaccines. The dose of rubella can cause joint pain and swelling. Measles and mumps can cause fever and mild rash. It is one of the vaccines that produces more fever, being a vaccine of live viruses dimmed
Can you put on if you are allergic to eggs?
The triple viral is a vaccine that can contain, in its composition, traces of egg protein (used to create it). This makes many people with allergic children doubt whether or not they can get vaccinated from it, or even the father of children who have not tried the egg, they think twice.
The reality is that the amount is so small, so low, that is not considered important. All children can be given the vaccine except those who have suffered a severe anaphylactic reaction when eating eggs.
I heard it could be related to autism
Since in 1998 a fake scientific article sneaked into a renowned scientific journal, the triple viral vaccine was considered possible cause of autism in children. The aforementioned article was removed from the journal and numerous studies have shown that this relationship does not exist. However, the myth ran so much and the stir was such that even today many people still believe that it is true.
Photos | Tom & Katrien, Carlos Reusser Monsalvez on Flickr More information | Medline Plus, VaccinesAEP In Babies and more | 180,000 children die each year from neonatal tetanus, "Vaccines are very effective in preventing disease." Interview with Carlos González (I) and (II), Ten things we should know about vaccines
