VACCINATIONS
Vaccines are the most effective method of protection against dangerous infectious diseases. They give a child the possibility of developing immunity to diseases without falling ill with them. Vaccines contain strictly defined, modified microorganisms, e.g. entire bacteria, viruses or their fragments, which after subcutaneous, intracutaneous, intramuscular injections or after oral administration stimulate the development of antibodies and immune cells against such microorganisms, but they do not cause symptoms of an illness.
Infants born prematurely (below the 37th week of gestation age), with low birth weight (below 2500g), face 8 to 10 times higher risk of succumbing to an invasive pneumococcal disease, a rotavirus, or a Bordetella pertussis infection, and the course of a disease is much more severe.
Premature infants should routinely undergo vaccination in accordance with their chronological age and the applicable Prophylactic Vaccination Schedule.
Foetal age, or body mass should not affect the decision regarding the commencement of hepatitis B, DTPa, HiB, IPV, PCV, ROTA-V vaccinations in clinically stable preterm babies.
Clinically stable preterm babies remaining in hospital care until the time of preventive vaccination is to commence (6-8 weeks old) ought to receive their first vaccines during their stay at the hospital department.
Postponing vaccination is only justified in case of a serious clinical condition. Postponing vaccination without unequivocal contraindications is unjustified, due to delayed immunity acquisition and increased risk of illness.
Premature babies tolerate most vaccinations similarly to full term babies.
Post-vaccination complications (apnoeic attacks, temporary drops in saturation, bradycardia) occur slightly more frequently in extremely premature infants.
Vaccine types and methods of their delivery in preterm infants and neonates with low birth weight:
- ALL compulsory vaccines and the ones recommended by the Polish Prophylactic Vaccination Schedule
- THE SAME DOSAGE AS FOR NEONATES BORN AT TERM
- COMBINATION VACCINES (multivalent vaccines)
- Minimum interval between subsequent doses of the same vaccine should not be shorter than 4 weeks.
COMPULSORY VACCINES – FREE OF CHARGE
They include vaccines against: TB, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, HiB infections, pneumococcal disease, measles, mumps, and rubella.
RECOMMENDED VACCINES – SUBJECT TO A FEE
They include vaccines against: varicella, rotavirus infections, and meningococcal infections.
VACCINATION SCHEDULE
|
|
AGE | ||||||||||||
| <24 ha | 2 months
(7-8 weeks old) |
3-4
weeks oldb |
5-6
weeks oldb |
7
weeks oldb |
8-12
weeks old |
13-14
weeks old |
16-18
weeks old |
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| VA CCINES
AGAINST |
TB1 | BCG | |||||||||||
| hepatitis B2 | WZWB | WZWB | WZWB | ||||||||||
| diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis3 | DTPa | DTPa | DTPa | DTPa | |||||||||
| Haemophilus influenzae type b | Hib | Hib | Hib | HiB | |||||||||
| poliomyelitis | IPV | IPV | IPV | ||||||||||
| pneumococci | PCV | PCV | PCV | PCV | |||||||||
| measles, mumps, and rubella | MMR | ||||||||||||
| rotaviruses4 | RV | RV | (RV) | ||||||||||
| varicella | VZV | VZV | |||||||||||
| meningococci 5 | MCV MCV MCV MCV | ||||||||||||
| 1-neonates born prematurely and with low birth weight are vaccinated once they reach a body mass of 2000 kg
2-in children with low birth weight <2000g a 4-dose cycle of vaccination is used 3-DTPa with acellular pertussis vaccine is designated for prematurely born infants 4-a 2- or 3-dose vaccination schedule is used 5-vaccination schedule depends on the preparation; polysaccharide vaccines are administered after 2 years of age, conjugate vaccines from 2 months of age, protein vaccines after 2 years of age. a-after birth or at a different time before a neonate is discharged from hospital; b-6-8 weeks from a previous vaccination green colour: compulsory vaccines (free of charge); yellow colour: recommended vaccines (subject to a fee) |
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