Should I get the hand, foot and mouth disease vaccine? This is what the experts say

Nowadays, children will get some vaccines after they are born in order to prevent the occurrence of certain diseases. For example, there is now a vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease. After children receive this vaccine, they will have resistance to the corresponding virus and will not get this disease.

1. What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease? Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common infectious disease among preschool children. 95% of children have mild symptoms and generally do not require special treatment. The most important thing is to seek medical treatment and receive standardized treatment in a timely manner. Most of them will recover within a week and have a good prognosis.

2. What is the cause of hand, foot and mouth disease? Hand, foot and mouth disease can be caused by a variety of viruses. The symptoms are similar, but the pathogenicity and degree of harm vary greatly. Among them, the hand, foot and mouth disease caused by EV71 virus is more serious and has even been fatal.

3. What are inactivated vaccines? Inactivated vaccines are antigens obtained by destroying pathogenic bacteria or viruses, making them lose their pathogenicity and then further processing them. Vaccines allow the human immune system to recognize the corresponding pathogens and thus prevent diseases. Its characteristic is that it provides strong and lasting protection at a very low cost, and its side effects are smaller than those of chemical treatments. It is currently recognized internationally that vaccines are almost the only means of preventing infectious diseases.

4. What is the hand, foot and mouth disease EV71 inactivated vaccine? It is a vaccine made from inactivated EV71 virus and used to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease caused by the virus.

5. Can hand, foot and mouth disease be completely avoided by receiving this vaccine? cannot. Hand, foot and mouth disease viruses other than EV71 can still cause infection in the vaccine recipients.

6. What are the benefits of getting this vaccine? As mentioned above, EV71 virus is one of the most harmful pathogens of hand, foot and mouth disease, and vaccination is currently the only preventive measure targeting the cause of the disease. Even though there is still a possibility of hand, foot and mouth disease, it is foreseeable that the risk of children getting sick and developing severe illness will be greatly reduced after vaccination.

7. Do infants and young children who have had hand, foot and mouth disease need to be vaccinated? You can still get vaccinated. If the previous history of hand, foot and mouth disease is not caused by EV71 virus, the child can still benefit from vaccination.

8. What is the appropriate age for infants and young children to be vaccinated? The "Technical Guidelines for the Use of Inactivated Enterovirus 71 Vaccine" released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in May 2016 recommends that the target population for vaccination is susceptible children aged 6 months, and the earlier the better. It is encouraged to complete the vaccination program before 12 months of age so that its protective effect can be exerted as early as possible. Vaccination is currently not recommended for children over 5 years old.