6 Interesting Facts About Vaccines You Probably Did Not Know

6 Interesting Facts About Vaccines You Probably Did Not Know

Look at those beady eyes, chubby cheeks, tousled hair and toothy grin and you instantly feel like enveloping the baby in your arms. You want to immediately hug it and protect it from all evils. And, the worst evils for babies are diseases. But worry not for vaccines are here to protect little ones from all communicable diseases and illnesses. Baby vaccinations are an indispensable part of childhood and must be administered to children from birth.

History of the vaccine schedule

It was 1796 when the first vaccine was invented by Edward Jenner for smallpox. Since then, countless vaccines have been found to eradicate epidemics and illnesses. Let us trace the timeline of the history of the vaccine schedule.

1796- Smallpox

The 1940s- Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT)

1955 - Polio vaccine by Jonas Salk

1963-71 - Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR)

1972 - total eradication of smallpox. So vaccination discontinued.

1989 -HiB- Haemophilus Influenza Type B

1994 - Hepatitis B

1996 - Varicella for chickenpox

1999 - Rotavirus

2000 - Hepatitis A

2001 - Pneumococcal vaccine

Why are vaccinations vital for medical treatment? - Some Facts you probably did not know

Vaccinations prevent the onset of many diseases by inducing immunity and are hence invaluable for medical treatment

• Vaccines have eradicated smallpox totally off the face of the earth.
• Polio will soon be totally eradicated through oral baby vaccinations.
• Vaccines prevent 3 million deaths every year.
• 92% of the deaths due to measles have been prevented by vaccines.
• Since Hib vaccine was introduced, there has been a 99% reduction in bacterial meningitis.
• Vaccines have curbed deadly diseases like Pneumonia and Rotavirus which killed 3 million infants under the age of 5 every year.

Baby vaccinations

Given below is a list of baby vaccinations that every baby must take at birth and within a year.

• BCG- At Birth- to prevent TB and
• OPV- At birth- to prevent Polio
• Hep B- At birth - to prevent Hepatitis B
• DPT - First dose at 4-6 weeks - to prevent Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus
• HiB- First dose at 6 weeks - to prevent Influenza type B
• Rota V- first dose at 6 weeks
• PCV- First dose at 6 weeks to prevent pneumonia
• MMR- at 9 months - to prevent Measles, Mumps & Rubella
• Typhoid vaccine at 1 year
• Varicella- at 1 year - for chicken pox

Several of these vaccines are administered in multiple doses and are not effective until all the doses have been delivered. It is hence best to use an immunization schedule to keep track of the vaccines to be given.

Current Immunization schedule for babies in India.

Children are a bundle of joy and our bloodline on earth -let us protect them with vaccines for a life of wellness!