2024-04-20 09:26:19
More than 60 years ago, there were no vaccines and children in Lithuania were not vaccinated, but hospitals had work.
“At that time, the incidence of measles and rubella was counted in tens of thousands of cases every year,” Daiva Razmuvienė, an epidemiologist at the National Public Health Center (NVSC), said in the program “Dienos kištas” on “Žiniai Radio”.
“After the start of vaccinations, a very good result was achieved, only a few sick people were recorded. However, the vaccination process cannot be interrupted. If there is a part of society that begins to no longer believe in vaccinations, a part susceptible to infections is formed.
Currently, parents and guardians say: “If there is no disease, why do we have to vaccinate children?” But there is no saying that it was precisely with the help of vaccinations that they were controlled,” observed D. Razmuvienė.
The “revival” of whooping cough, measles, rubella and others is observed not only in Lithuania, but also throughout Europe.
However, parents do not properly assess the health risks posed by infectious diseases, noted pediatrician Dr. Indrė Plėštytė-Būtiene. She sees ads on social media about “chicken pox parties,” where parents of a sick child invite others to intentionally infect their offspring with the disease.
“This is a violation of the rights of the child. Chickenpox in recent years is very complicated and very difficult to treat. Sometimes the parents’ behavior is incomprehensible,” said I. Plėštytė-Būtiene.
Without a vaccine – like without a seat belt
According to D. Razmuvienė, parents overemphasize the possible and alleged side reactions of vaccinations. They also unreasonably question the efficacy of vaccines.
Paulius Gradeckas, a lecturer at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, reminded that the vaccines included in the National Immunoprophylaxis Calendar were developed 30-40 years ago. Therefore, there is no shortage of data on side effects, and identified adverse reactions are extremely rare.
So-called “childhood infections” spread particularly easily. One sick person can infect 17 others.
“Current parents, let’s take a group of people aged 30-40, were vaccinated as children. If a person was born in 1995 and has young children, there is a 1% chance that he is not vaccinated and a 99% chance that he is vaccinated.
That protected person now makes the decision to keep their children unprotected. An analogy would be this: I get into the car, I put on the seat belt myself, which is an individual safety device, but I don’t put on a seat belt for a small child.
Public opinion about such a person would be very negative. At that time, the opinion about non-vaccinating parents (…) is not so categorical”, P. Gradeckas taught.
3 deaths from whooping cough
Specialists emphasize that no vaccinations are mandatory. D. Razmuvienė does not think that this provision should be changed, because society would react negatively to such a decision. Experience shows that disease outbreaks are more effective in changing people’s opinions.
For example, after the measles outbreak in 2019 45 times more persons were vaccinated in 8 months.
“Then the society stirs,” D. Razmuvienė observed. But I say that you don’t need to wait for trouble, rather invest in prevention. Unfortunately, this culture is not very good here yet.”
According to the epidemiologist, if the public “does not move” due to missed vaccinations against measles and whooping cough during the pandemic, a similar outbreak to the one Lithuania saw in 2019 may occur.
20 cases of measles and 32 cases of whooping cough have been recorded in our country this year. This is significantly more than last year throughout the year.
“Through the emergency warning system, it was reported that there are 3 cases of death from whooping cough in Prague,” said D. Razmuvienė, adding that the upcoming holiday season increases the risk of imported infections.
The epidemiologist complained that although residents are encouraged to vaccinate their children, no activation is noticeable in Lithuania.
14 vaccines – not too many?
Pediatrician dr. Indrė Plėštytė-Būtienė explained that nowadays doctors pay much more attention to the prevention of diseases.
“Vaccines are invented so that children do not get sick, do not have complications, those diseases do not lead to the appearance of other chronic diseases,” said I. Plėštytė-Būtiene.
According to the doctor, a doctor whom the parents trust must talk to the parents about vaccines and answer their questions.
“When we have an honest conversation, those doubting parents make the decision to vaccinate because they trust both the doctor and the information he provides.”
We see those who are strongly anti-vaccine even aggressively attack the doctor – we will not talk them out of it. But if doubters come, our job is to pay attention to them and explain the real situation”, said I. Plėštytė-Būtiene.
The interlocutor expressed her regret that some doctors give up and do not engage in educational activities for parents.
In Lithuania, children are vaccinated against 14 diseases. Sometimes doctors hear that this is a very high number.
“Indeed, when a child is born, he enters a world of various microbes. And only 14 diseases are vaccinated (…), that is, only those from which the child may not survive or have huge complications.
I am in favor of vaccinations, because seeing a sick child and not being able to help him is the most difficult thing for both parents and doctors.
Whooping cough is not so easily treated. Sometimes you have to say: “Don’t be angry, you yourself chose not to vaccinate.” We will do everything for the child to recover, but all that remains is to pray,” warned I.Plėštytė-Būtiene.
2024-04-20 09:26:19