Due to many vaccines now available diseases which were life threatening are now under control. List of the available vaccines are:
Yellow Fever:
Is primarily transmitted through mosquitoes and in unvaccinated populations causes over 200,000 illnesses and 30,000 deaths. It is a acute viral disease which has symptoms of jaundice.
If you are allergic to eggs or egg products or have AIDS or cancer if you are pregnant and breast feeding and the doctor this vaccine will not be administered.
Typhoid Vaccine:
Cause of typhoid is salmonella which can be found in contaminated food or water. It is a serious dicease which has high fever, stomach pains, headache, weakness, loss of appetite and at times a rash. If not arrested the death toll can go up to 30%. Around the world it strikes about 21 million out of which the death toll is as much as 200,000.
Meningococcal Vaccine:
Meningococcal is an infection of fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. It also causes blood infections. It is a serious bacterial illness which is common in infants who are younger than one year of age and others who have lack a spleen. Administration of the vaccine is recommended for all children and adolescents from 11 to 18 years of age.
Hepatitis A Vaccine:
Hepatitis A is a serious liver disorder and is found in the stools of the person. It spreads by either eating food or drinking water contaminated with HAV virus or through close contact from others who has this virus. It can cause a mild flu, jaundice symptoms, severe stomach pain and diarrhea. Death rate is about 3 to 50 for every 1,000 cases.
Hepatitis B Vaccine (HBV):
Hepatitis B is a serious virus that affects the liver which can cause loss of appetite, jaundice, tiredness, pain in muscles, joints and stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. This can also lead to liver damage, liver cancer and death. Annual death toll is 3,000 to 5,000 due to cirrhosis or liver cancer caused by HBV. This vaccine can prevent the consequences of HBV
Polio Vaccine:
Prevents virus sometimes may not cause serious illness but at times will cause paralysis and death. Prior to the vaccine it was a common virus that killed thousands of people every year.
Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Accellular Pertussis Vaccine (DTap):
This vaccine protects against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. A person can be infected with this virus by stepping on a rusty nail or cut outdoors where soil may have entered through the cut. The vaccine is not a life long protection but will protects for about 10 years.
Rubella. Mumps, Measles Vaccine (MMR):
This vaccine protects against mumps, measles and rubella. Measles causes a rash, cough, running nose, eye irritation, fever and in some cases pneumonia seizures, brain damage and death.
Mums causes fever, headache and swollen glands but can also lead to deafness, meningitis, swollen testicles or ovaries and even death.
Rubella or german measles as it is commonly known, is a mild disease but can cause serious birth defects if the mother contacts this virus during the pregnancy.
Rabies:
Is caused if bitten by an animal infected with this disease. Initially there may no reactions but as time goes by from weeks to years after a bite, it can cause pain, fatigue, headaches, fever and irritability which are followed by seizures, hallucinations and paralysis. This can be transmitted by skunks, raccoons, dogs, cats, rats and other animals. Unvaccinated dogs are the most common cause of transmission.
Japanese Encephalitis (JE):
This virus causes swelling of the brain and is more common in Asia which is spread by infected mosquitoes. It is not contagious. Mild infections may cause fever and headaches and severe infections will have high fever, head aches, stiff necks, stupor disorientation, abnormal movements, occasional convulsions (especially in infants) coma and even paralysis. The vacinne will prevent JE but is not a substitute for mosquito precautions.
Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV) :
This vaccines protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria. It may not be effective for elderly people or children under the age of 2 years but others develop a immune system 2 or 3 weeks after administering the vaccine.
