Vaccine regimens when vaccination history is unknown, post-vaccination reactions, and 5 other questions about measles vaccination during an epidemic are answered below.
Doctor Pham Hong Thuyet, Medical Manager, VNVC Vaccination System, answers questions about measles vaccination for children, in the context of Ho Chi Minh City declaring an epidemic, including:
– What is the vaccination regimen when vaccination history is unknown?
Normally, to know whether the child has received enough measles shots, parents can proactively check the vaccination book or card. If these documents have been lost, the family should contact the health station or vaccination center to look up information about the child’s vaccination history. In case there is no vaccination information, the child will be re-vaccinated from the beginning with a regimen of at least two shots.
– Does extra vaccine injection affect health?
Adding an additional dose of vaccine does not overload the immune system or affect the health of children. In the context of a measles epidemic, the top priority is to vaccinate children, avoid contracting and experiencing dangerous complications from measles, and increase vaccination coverage in the community to control the epidemic soon.
The top priority during a measles outbreak is to vaccinate children to avoid contracting the disease and complications. Photo: Unsplash
– Can the measles vaccine be given with another type?
During the same vaccination session, children can be vaccinated against measles at the same time as other vaccines such as influenza, chickenpox, pneumococcal, etc. The injection sites are in different limbs of the body. Simultaneous injection of vaccines gives the same immune response and side effects as when injected separately. This saves families time traveling to the vaccination center and reduces the number of post-vaccination care visits.
The doctor will screen the baby’s health to decide on the appropriate vaccination. However, if the vaccination is given on a different day, the measles vaccine must be given one month after a live attenuated vaccine such as chickenpox, at least 28 days.
– Is there a rapid vaccination protocol during measles outbreak?
Normally, in the Expanded Immunization Program (EPI), children will receive a single measles shot at 9 months of age, followed by a measles-rubella booster shot at 18 months of age. If vaccinated on a service basis, depending on the vaccination history and age, children will be assigned to receive two or three doses of measles-containing vaccine, with the doses spaced three months or three years apart.
During an epidemic, children from 12 months of age can be vaccinated with measles vaccines at least one month apart. In addition, the manufacturer’s prescription information for the measles vaccine (MVVac) and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR II) also allows vaccination of these two types for babies from 6 months of age, helping children prevent diseases early.
– What are the reactions after injection and how to take care?
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine, common reactions after measles vaccination include fever, swelling, heat, redness, pain at the injection site… Of which fever accounts for 5-15%, rash accounts for 5%.
Reactions after injection are usually mild and can go away on their own after 1-2 days without treatment. Parents can apply a cool compress to the injection site and give their child fever-reducing medicine as directed by the doctor.
– If I get one shot in the HCM City vaccination campaign, can I get the second shot in the service?
In case one, if the child has received the first dose before, the injection in the campaign is considered the second dose. Thus, the child has completed two doses of measles vaccine, only lacking the vaccine against mumps and rubella. After completing the second dose in the campaign, parents can still take their children to the service vaccination centers to get advice on vaccines containing the ingredients to prevent the above two diseases.
In the second case, if the child receives the first injection in the campaign, the second injection can be added in the service vaccination. Currently, the vaccine used in the vaccination campaign is the measles-rubella vaccine (MRVac). In the service vaccination, the child will receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, at least one month after the measles-rubella injection in the campaign for children from 1 year old.
– Should we get measles vaccination service or expanded vaccination?
Measles vaccine has been popularized in the EPI program and service vaccination. Parents can choose a vaccination place for their children that suits their wishes and economic conditions of each family.
The EPI program currently has single measles vaccine and combined measles-rubella vaccine, while service vaccination has two types including single measles vaccine and combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.
Dr. Thuyet noted that regardless of where parents choose to get vaccinated, they must adhere to the full dose and schedule. Two doses of measles vaccine have a protection value of up to 98%, helping children effectively prevent the disease.