Inactivated vaccine | Should I have my baby vaccinated?

Inactivated vaccine

Some of the recommended vaccinations are carried out by administering dead vaccines. This term is based on the fact that the vaccine contains killed pathogens or only parts of the pathogen. An advantage over live vaccines is that fewer side effects occur after vaccination with an inactivated vaccine.

However, inactivated vaccines protect against diseases just as well as a live vaccine by actively immunizing the body. The disadvantage, however, is that the protection provided by an inactivated vaccine does not last as long. Therefore, more frequent revaccinations are necessary to maintain protection against the disease.

The disease can be prevented by vaccination against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, influenza, pneumococcal and meningococcal infections. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends vaccinations for babies against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenza type B, polio, hepatitis B as a 6-fold vaccination and pneumococcus from the 2nd month of life. Vaccination against meningococcal infection is recommended from the age of 12 months.

Live vaccination

Live vaccines belong to the other type of vaccines. These are called live vaccines because they contain small amounts of the pathogen that can reproduce. However, the pathogens are strongly attenuated, so that they do not cause the disease in the vaccinated person.

Rarely can side effects occur after the vaccination, which can be of varying severity. In the days following the vaccination, mild symptoms such as rashes, slight fever or swelling of the joints may occur. The advantage of live vaccines is a usually lifelong protection against the respective disease.

In contrast to the dead vaccines, the vaccinations of the baby/infant are therefore sufficient for a lifelong immunity. Vaccinations relevant for infants include those against mumps, measles, rubella, chickenpox and rotavirus. According to the recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO), the first vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella should be given as a combination vaccine at the age of 11-14 months (for example in combination with U6).It is also important to have the child vaccinated a second time against mumps, measles, rubella at the age of 15-23 months in order to build up a safe, lifelong protection against these diseases.