Vaccines From Rubella: Benefit Or Harm

In recent years, there are always heated debates about whether or not mass vaccinations are needed from rubella.

Rubella is a viral disease that, when a virus enters the human body, causes damage to the lymphatic system, skin, and mucous membranes. It is characterized by a slight rise in temperature, a mild rash and an increase in all lymph nodes, which takes place practically without consequences in three to four days. The source of infection is always a sick person or a virus carrier in the last days of the incubation period, which is usually 11-21 days. Even without treatment, the disease itself passes through two to three days, leaving a permanent lifelong immunity.

The stumbling block in the question: need rubella vaccines or not is the fact that a disease that is potentially not dangerous to humans and does not threaten the development of complications, causes the development of congenital malformations in the fetus. When a pregnant woman is infected during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, spontaneous abortion occurs, or a child with congenital rubella syndrome develops, which includes congenital heart defects, cataracts, deafness and severe impairment of neuropsychological development. Therefore, with rubella disease of a pregnant woman, if a two-time serological test determines an increase in the antibody titer, the early stage of pregnancy raises the question of inoculating measles rubella parotitis. Less dangerous is the onset of pregnancy in the first three months after a rubella vaccine is given, in this case, after the vaccination , the use of contraceptives during this period is recommended.

Vaccination from rubella is conducted according to the order of the Ministry of Health at this age:

- at the age of 12 months - inoculation against measles, rubella, mumps;

- at the age of 6 years - vaccination against rubella, measles, mumps before entering school

- at the age of 13 - vaccination against rubella to girls who had not previously had rubella;

- at the age of 18-25 years - the rubella vaccination is carried out among girls and women who have not previously fallen ill and who do not have information about the vaccination in the medical court.

The supporters of the mass vaccination against rubella refer to the fact that in the 70-80s of the last century (at a time when a broad mass of children were being vaccinated), the number of diseases in pregnant women with rubella was very small. At the present time, because of the disruption of the vaccine and the missed deadline for vaccination, due to parents' refusal of vaccinations in children at 1 year and 6 years of age, the percentage of women of childbearing age who have antibodies against the rubella virus in the blood is gradually getting lower And below. These arguments are also used by opponents of mass vaccination in their campaign to abandon the use of vaccination nationwide. The rubella vaccination, according to some experts, is carried out with a vaccine of inadequate quality, which has not been certified in our country and is not accompanied by proper medical supervision of the vaccination process itself (medical examination and thermometry before vaccination are not conducted, allergic anamnesis is not studied). In addition, a number of studies have shown a low titer of antibodies in the blood of vaccinated children, which does not exclude the possibility of the disease after completing the entire amount, which is stipulated in the calendar of vaccinations against rubella. This all is also imposed by the human factor - if children aged 1 to 13 years can be "driven" to a vaccination from under the stick, then most women older than this age go on inoculation with great reluctance.

In our society, where everyone has the right to the fullness of all possible information, every woman should decide for herself whether to risk getting rubella during pregnancy, if she has not had this childhood infection before, or whether she should check the blood for the presence Antibodies and get vaccinated against rubella when planning pregnancy.