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By zafar
#627
salaams doc,

I would like to know how many vaccinations does a child need and upto what age?
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By Sadik 110
#841
SalaamAlaikum.

I'm not a doctor. Being just a pre-dental student, i have very shallow knowledge pertaining vaccinations. But i'll share whatever i know. :)

The standard vaccinations that are normally given to a child here (in US and Canada) includes Measles, Mums, Rubella, Tetanus, Hepatitis, Polio, Diptheria, and Flu.

Tetanus and Hepatits are given every 10 years, MMR (Mums, measels, Rubella) need a booster every few years, and flu is annual.

Furthermore, Yellow fever has been an endemic in Africa and South America. Therefore, the infants, pregnant women, and the immunosupressed ones living in those areas, or travelling to those areas, would highly be recomended to get a yellow fever shot.

Ma'salam.
By Shaina
#2280
salaams...
i ws jst wonderin if u did get the reply for vaccines to your satisfaction?as the pre-med student replied it, but he's situated in north america and vaccines administration differs country from country!as i cn see u r situated in dar es salaam, tz.im a student studyin at muhimbili in my 4th yr,doing medicine.this is wat i cn tell u for tz as per the national guidelines:
AGE VACCINE
birth BCG,oral polio vaccine (OPV-0)
6wks DPT-1,OPV-1
10wks DPT-2,OPV-2
14wks DPT-3,OPV-3
9months MEASLES & Vit A
pls note that these are for normal babies, not ill.ill babies MAY have some manuevers for vaccinations.hope it ws helpful
shaina
By zafar
#2439
THANX A LOT SADIK N SHAINA YOUR POSTS WERE A GREAT HELP.

FURTHER SUGGESTIONS WILL HELP ALSO AS I CAN SEE THAT VACCINATIONS DIFFER FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY AS SHAINA MENTIONED.
AS I AM IN DAR ARE THE VACCINATIONS MENTIONED BY SADIK ALSO IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN IN TANZANIA?
By Shaina
#2450
salaams
yes, actually they r the same batch of vaccines,MMR(Measles,Mums and Rubella),DPTH(Diptheria,Pertusis,Tetanus,Hepatitis),they are called like taht coz the vaccines are given together!!!!polio drops/oral polio is the same thing!
other things given whn vaccines given to babies are Vit K,Vit A!
sorry for the confusion, but basically we both were talkin the about the same thng,correct me if im wrong sadik.thnx
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By abuali
#16453
Salaam alaykum

I am told vaccinations have changed since the above discussion.

I have also come across concerns about vaccinations resulting in weakening immune systems or causing illnesses or death.

Can a doctor please update us about what are the vaccinations which a new born in tanzania has to have.

What happens if the new born does not get these vaccinations?
By Fatimah Zahra Karim
#16523
Not much has changed. What Dr. Shaina mentioned still stands. In addition to DPT (against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) at 1, 2 and 3 months, this combination vaccine now includes vaccines against Hepatitis B and Hemophillus influenza as well. The schedule remains the same :)

Also, parents who wish to do so can get an additional measles vaccine at 15 months as a booster. MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (against pneumonia), gardasil (against HPV, protecting against future cervical and penile cancer) and a vaccine against chicken pox are available though not on the Tanzanian program due to the govt's financial constrains. (Vaccines on the Tanzanian program are free even at private clinics/hospitals)

As regards your concern about the effect of vaccines on the immune system, rest assured they are all positive. If you remember, the immune system has a memory for previously encountered intruders. What they "remember" however are the proteins on the surface of these intruders' cells and the next time they are encountered, they are destroyed before damage is caused. This is the reason why you can only get, say, chicken pox once in your lifetime.

And what is a vaccine? It is this antigen that the body will recognize as foreign, attack, and then remember. However, a vaccine is usually attenuated, killed or is only a part of the organism. So the body is fooled into thinking it was infected. What happens when the child is infected for real is what would ordinarily happen the second time an unvaccinated child was exposed. The body fights it off without the disease becoming apparent.

So what happens if you decide not to vaccinate your child? Well, I've seen a few patients with vaccine preventable diseases in the paediatrics ward and they aren't pretty. You may think of chicken pox as a mere itchy period, but the shingles caused by the same virus being reactivated in later life is painful. Also, if a girl grows up without getting it and happens to catch it while she's pregnant (from her other children who go to school maybe), it could spell disaster for her unborn baby. Same with Rubella. Tetanus? A slow painful death may be the consequence.

Fever is a common side effect after vaccination. It's just a sign that the body is fighting the "intruder" like it should be. If your baby does spike a fever, paracetamol syrup should take care of it. :)

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