Childhood vaccinations in Mexico - Childbirth in Mexico

Childhood vaccinations — certainly a hot topic for those who come to give birth in Mexico. But Mexican parents rarely discuss this topic. Mexicans trust their government and its health care system, which is why getting your child vaccinated is considered routine. For its part, Mexico's Ministry of Health is proud that more than 93% of children under 5 years of age have received mandatory vaccinations, compared to an average of 86% for countries that report vaccinations to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2018). On the other hand, in Mexico the number of children vaccinated against measles, diphtheria and tetanus is significantly lower than WHO recommends (90%).

Are childhood vaccinations mandatory in Mexico? No, they don't perform. The first vaccinations are given immediately after birth. If you do not want to vaccinate your child, notify the medical staff, otherwise vaccinations may be given by default. Moreover, the instructions of the Mexican Ministry of Health for doctors say that putting pressure on parents or exaggerating the importance of vaccines is unacceptable.

Where can I get my child vaccinated? Vaccinations can be done by any pediatrician. State medical institutions and many private pediatricians provide vaccinations without payment (but the appointment may be paid); commercial medical institutions can charge money for this. The quality of the vaccine will be the same in both cases. There are also special family medicine institutions where vaccinations are given free of charge. You only need to have with you a document confirming the child’s identity.

Information about all vaccinations received is recorded in the health card (Cartilla Nacional de Salud). This card is issued free of charge at any medical institution and for children under 9 years of age it looks like below. It also contains basic data on the health and dynamics of children’s development.

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Childhood vaccination schedule

The Mexican Ministry of Health recommends a childhood vaccination schedule, which we present below. The inclusion of vaccines against chickenpox (again after its discontinuation) and hepatitis A are being considered, and then this scheme has the potential to become one of the most comprehensive in the world.

The scheme aims to prevent 14 diseases in children aged 0 to 18 years. Some vaccinations are also recommended for adults.

All vaccinations in the presented scheme are free.

1.BCG— anti-tuberculosis vaccine. It is done at a very early age, preferably after birth, and does not require repetition. Protects against severe extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis such as meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis.

2.Hepatitis B. Done at birth and again after 2 and 6 months. The importance of administering this vaccine at birth is to avoid transmission of the virus from mother to child during childbirth. Ideally, the first vaccination will be given in the same clinic where the birth took place. Repeated vaccinations are given 2 more times, since the virus can be transmitted through breast milk, and the mother may not have symptoms, but be a virus carrier.

3.Pentavalent acellular vaccinedone at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age. Combines 5 vaccines in one, against the following pathogens:

Haemophilus influenzae(Haemophilus influenzae B.). The pathogen causes diseases of the central nervous system (meninges): pneumonia, pericarditis and osteoarthritis. The virus can cause conditions with nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fever, malaise, diarrhea and sore throat, but it can also cause neurological symptoms with severe headache. Diseases caused by Haemophilus influenzae have not been recorded on the American continent since 1994, however, WHO considers it necessary to continue to use this vaccine, which Mexico is doing.

Diphtheria(Corynebacterium diphteriae). The disease destroys tissue in the nose and throat, causing croup — blockage of the airways with diphtheria film and edema. There is a risk of serious complications from myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and neuritis (inflammation of the central nervous system). The initial symptoms are very non-specific, and the disease has the ability to progress, affecting the body with an extremely severe toxin. Therefore, it is important to prevent it with the support of vaccination.

In the modern world, diphtheria is rare. But in 2000, 12 cases of the disease were recorded in Colombia, and in 2002 — 38 cases in Paraguay. Therefore, Mexico continues to vaccinate against diphtheria.

Tetanus— a disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium Tetani. The bacterium produces toxins, one of which is deadly. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person, but infection can occur through places or instruments contaminated with bacillus spores. Tetanus causes paralysis of the muscles that affect swallowing and chewing. 500,000 people die every year from tetanus worldwide.

The disease occurs only in unvaccinated people or with inadequate vaccination schedules. There is no natural immunity against tetanus, therefore the neonatal form occurs in children of unvaccinated mothers born in poor hygienic conditions.

Whooping cough.This disease causes a permanent cough lasting more than 2 weeks, resulting in vomiting, hemorrhage in the conjunctiva of the eye, and respiratory depression. Serious complications of the disease include pneumonia or traumatic brain injury. Mostly children from 0 to 4 years old are affected.

Until 1940, this was the main cause of serious illness and high mortality in children, but with the advent of large-scale vaccination the situation has changed greatly for the better.

To counteract the last three diseases — whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria — a booster will be requiredDPTat age 4 years to avoid partial immunization.

4. Vaccine againstrotavirusapplied at the age of 2, 4 and 6 months. Rotavirus (more precisely, it is a group of viruses) — the most common cause of vomiting, diarrhea and fever in children. There are studies that show that by the age of 5 years, every child has at least one rotavirus infection.

Mexico — a relatively prosperous region for rotavirus. But in Latin America, 30% of emergency consultations for acute diarrhea in children under 3 years of age are due to this reason.

5.Pneumococcus. Basically, older people are at risk of contracting it, from whom it is most often transmitted to children. The disease can cause otitis media, sinusitis, conjunctivitis and exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Acute forms lead to meningitis and pneumonia.

Vaccinations against pneumococcus in Mexico are given at 2, 4 and 12 months. Private clinics offer another booster dose after 6 months, which significantly reduces the risk of diseases caused by this microorganism.

6.Fluis a highly contagious viral disease with high morbidity and mortality rates in very young children and the elderly. Epidemics usually occur from December to March in the northern hemisphere and from June to September in the southern hemisphere, but in tropical and subtropical areas they can occur throughout the year. 10% of the world's population suffers from the consequences of infection during the period of circulation of the virus. The most common manifestation is a cold, but with much stronger and longer-lasting symptoms.

In Mexico, children under 5 years of age are recommended to get annual flu shots. The effectiveness of these vaccinations — often a subject of debate, but Mexico's health ministry believes that flu shots for children and adults significantly reduce the risk of illness.

7.SRP— vaccine against rubella, measles and mumps. It is given at ages 1 and 6 years, and many people know it as the triple antiviral vaccine.

8.VPH— vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV). Protects against the types of this virus that most commonly cause cervical cancer. The virus is also associated with other types of cancer, such as cancer of the vagina, penis, vulva, anus, mouth and throat. The virus is also the cause of genital warts.

In Mexico, the HPV vaccine is administered at age 11 or the fifth grade of primary school and consists of two doses, the second given 6 months after the first. This vaccine is also recommended for older people.

9.OPV— polio vaccine, which is part of the pentavalent vaccine, and its purpose — enhance the effect of the main vaccine. Suitable for children under 5 years of age. Polio often occurs in an asymptomatic or erased form, which complicates diagnosis and leads to irreversible damage to the body.

Although polio (infantile spinal palsy) is now rare, it was once a feared disease throughout the world. It was only with the beginning of mass vaccination in the 50s of the last century that polio was almost completely defeated. There have been outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) in several African countries, caused by poor vaccination practices and poor-quality vaccines, but no such cases have been reported in Mexico.