Vaccination

I was shocked to read recently about the death of a veterinary doctor after contracting the deadly disease Tetanus. I was even more shocked to read that the local medical facility told him that there was no need for him to be treated (post exposure tetanus vaccine). This deadly disease is not to be taken lightly. While many of the other diseases that we routinely vaccinate against are rarely seen, tetanus is still alive and kicking, especially here in Bali were most people live in a rural environment, and cows are even seen meandering down the main Ngurah Rai bypass! (Cow feces is a favourite of the Clostridium Tetani bacteria, and it breeds very nicely in cow pats!) Let’s look at how we can prevent this and other life threatening diseases by vaccination.
 
For what diseases do we recommend vaccination?
 
-Diphtheria – Highly contagious bacteria spread by nasal droplets (sneezing, coughing). The patient suffers severe sore throat with swollen glands. The disease has a 1:15 fatality rate. The bacteria releases a toxin that causes nerve paralysis and heart failure.
-Tetanus – A disease caused by the toxin of bacteria found in animal feces. The disease is contracted when wounds are exposed to the Clostridium Tetani bacteria. 3 – 21 days after exposure the infection causes painful muscular spasms and convulsions. About 1 in 10 patients die.
-Pertussis - Contagious bacteria spread by nasal droplets (sneezing, coughing). The infection causes an irritating cough, which may develop into a characteristic whooping type bark. About 1 in 200 patients under the age of 6 months die from pneumonia or brain damage.
-Polio – Contagious virus spread by feces and saliva. Headache, nausea and vomiting are followed by severe muscle pain and neck stiffness of the neck and back. 5% of patients die, and 50% of survivors are permanently paralysed.
-Haemophilus Influenza type B – Contagious bacteria spread by nasal droplets (Haemophilus Influenza,       despite it’s name, has no relationship to the common cold or “influenza”). An acute illness with fever, vomiting and lethargy. About 5% of patients die if the disease progresses to meningitis. 25% of survivors have permanent nerve or brain damage.
-Hepatitis B – A contagious virus spread by blood and body fluids (sexual contact). 2 – 3 months after exposure the victim may suffer abdominal pain, nausea, rash and jaundice. Severity of the disease varies. 2-4 % may   develop chronic carrier-state; 5 – 10 % of these may develop cirrhosis and liver cancer with a 50% fatality rate.
-Mumps – A contagious virus spread by saliva. The infection causes fever and painful neck glands. 1 in 200 children develops encephalitis. 1 in 5 males past        puberty develops inflammation of the testicles. Mumps can occasionally cause infertility or deafness.
-Measles – A contagious virus spread by coughing and nasal droplets. The disease generally causes sore throat, runny nose, cough and characteristic rash. 1 in 25 children develop pneumonia, and 1 in 2,000 develop encephalitis. 10% of children that contract measles   encephalitis will die, 25% will have permanent brain   damage.
-Rubella - A contagious virus spread by coughing and nasal droplets. The infection causes fever, headache, itchy eyes, and swollen glands behind the ears and neck. 90 % of babies infected in the first 10 weeks after        conception (inside the womb) will develop major congenital abnormalities (deaf, blind, brain damage, or heart defects).
-Tuberculosis – A very contagious bacterial disease, spread by droplets and spores expectorated in sputum. Tuberculosis can present in many different parts of the body, however is most commonly found in the lungs causing chronic cough, low-grade fever and blood stained sputum. If untreated the bacteria forms cyst type lesions in the lung and other organs and may        eventually cause death.
-Meningococcal – A contagious bacterial disease that infects the brain. There are as many as 13 different serotypes of the meningococcal pathogen, the most common of which we see is Meningitis Type C. First signs of this disease may present as a cold or flu type picture, followed by a high fever, headache, nausea and characteristic skin lesions. Meningitis may lead to       permanent brain damage, as well as loss of limbs or internal bleeding. In uncomplicated meningococcal the fatality rate is 10-20%. In complicated cases (shock, bleeding disorders and / or skin lesions) the rate is as high as 50%.
 
Here is the revised STANDARD VACCINATION SCHEDULE (April 2004) based on Australian NHMRC recommendations with adjustments for tropical regions. Note that the 18 month booster shot for DTaP, Polio, & Hib has now been taken off the schedule.

• for children not previously immunized for Hepatitis A/B
 
 
“ Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com”.
 
Copyright © 2004 Kim Patra
 
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