Immunization effectiveness to prevent diphtheria
Can immunization prevent diphtheria disease in the latter days? Consider the effectiveness of immunization to prevent diphtheria.
Diphtheria is a disease caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium dips. The exposure of a person to these diphtheria bacteria is usually when someone accidentally inhales or swallows the saliva of diphtheria (through droplets). This condition endangers the health of the body. However, does it immunize to prevent diphtheria that is the right solution?
Immunization prevention as a deterrent
The risk of exposure to diphtheria disease increases in densely populated areas with an unhygienic environment. Also, AIDS sufferers are at risk of exposure to diphtheria due to weak immune systems.
The initial symptoms of diphtheria differ from each person. Some do not show any symptoms at all when the disease arises. However, a commonly discovered initial sign is the presence of a gray-white membrane sticking to the throat wall area or the tonsilitis.
Unlike sore throat, this membrane usually if removed will cause bleeding. Due to the presence of membranes in the area around the airway, then the next symptoms are cough, pain when swallowing, hoarseness, colds, tightness until fever and chills.
The only prevention of diphtheria disease is by immunization or diphtheria vaccination. In Indonesia, usually, diphtheria immunization is administered in conjunction with pertussis and tetanus vaccination. This diphtheria vaccine is administered by injecting the diphtheria bacteria that have been weakened into the body.
This action is expected to spice up the diphtheria bacteria to stimulate the body to form antibodies that would be useful to fight against the Corynebacterium diff bacteria. Especially, when one day accidentally enters your body.
Who should get diphtheria immunization?
High cases of diphtheria become special attention to the Government of Indonesia. This is because the disease has a high enough number of cases with fatal risk, namely death. Meanwhile, the prevention of diphtheria is quite simple, by conducting regular diphtheria immunization.
DPT immunization (diphtheria, pertussis, and Tetanus) is a basic and advanced immunization program that is recommended to be given to children from infants up to 6 years of age. The first three grants are performed when a child ages 2, 3, and 4 months by injecting into intramuscular.
The fourth gift can be done at the age of an infant 1 year 6 months, and the fifth is when the child is 5 years old. After the five immunizations are completed, the child should get a TDAP immunization booster (reimmunization Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) once every 10 years. Regular administration of the diphtheria vaccine is proven to effectively control the number of cases of diphtheria.
In addition to routine immunization that has been described above, diphtheria immunization is also highly recommended for those who will visit the area that is recorded to have a fairly high diphtheria case. Health workers, newborn caregivers, and adults or pregnant mothers who have never been vaccinated are encouraged to immunize.
The side effects of diphtheria immunization are not very dangerous and still have a much smaller risk of death than the diphtheria disease itself. Commonly found side effects are fever, the child becomes more cranky, loss of appetite, pain or swelling in the injected area. It can be solved by giving paracetamol to relieve fever and swelling pain in children. However, this side effect usually lasts only two to three days after the administration of diphtheria immunization.
It is important to remember that the administration of diphtheria immunization is done by professional healthcare personnel. Also, tell your doctor about the history of diphtheria immunization that has been done before. Do not forget to also notify the medical officer when you are taking medications for a particular disease, and a history of allergic reactions when you are vaccinated. So, let immunization to prevent diphtheria.