Recently Developed Vaccines

There are some recently developed vaccines that have been made available for everyone. Several new ones have come on the market in the last decade or so for your child’s benefit too. In addition, pharmaceutical companies are developing new ones as well. What does this imply? It’s basically good news for everyone if you think of it. With these immunizations, a lot of diseases and conditions can be prevented. With more immunized children and adults, transmissions will decrease and, eventually, we will achieve herd immunity. It’s a good health investment, definitely. So what are these recently developed vaccines?

Tuberculosis Vaccine

Vaccines against tuberculosis is currently on the stage of development and on the way. Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that infect the lungs. It spreads when bacteria travel through the air from one person coughing, sneezing, or speaking.  With the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of TB, there is a potential for the impact of the disease to become more severe. Many TB vaccines are now in clinical trials that would have a local as well as global impact.

Pneumococcal Vaccine

The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria causes a large proportion of respiratory infections worldwide. In turn,
respiratory infections result to almost two million deaths per year.  This species of bacteria can also cause blood infections, meningitis, and ear infections, especially in young children. Luckily, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine made its way to approval in 2010 to protect against 13 strains of the said bacteria.  Schedule your infant to receive the vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months, with a fourth dose between 12 and 15 months.

Rotavirus

Acute diarrhea is responsible for millions of deaths per year in children under the age five. Rotavirus is responsible for as much as one fourth of these casualties, almost all of which occur in developing countries. Two different rotavirus vaccines became available in the United States in 2006 and 2008, and the incidence of rotavirus disease has declined dramatically in the United States because of their use.

Meningoccocal Vaccine

The meningococcal vaccine protects teenagers and young adults against meningitis and bloodstream infections caused by the meningococcus bacterium. A new and preferred version of the vaccine became available in 2005. Schedule your kids for vaccination in two doses – one at age 11 or 12 and a booster at age 16.

Human Papillomavirus

Sexually transmitted human papillomavirus is the major cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer, on the other hand, is the most common cause of cancer deaths among women in developing countries. It kills some 240,000 women annually but, most recently, a new HPV vaccine became available. This vaccine now protects women against nine HPV strains and is recommended for girls and boys in three doses at age 11 or 12.