The body of each child is protected by their immune system. It is in our power to strengthen this system even more, taking into account the characteristics of a child’s immune system. With support from vaccines given as a child, the body is able to fend off pathogens and protect itself independently in the future.
Why is vaccination started early?
Vaccination of children is started early, because some pathogens attack and cause particularly severe forms of illness in children. Although, in most cases children receive antibodies to pathogens from their mothers, those antibodies disappear in time and young bodies need support. For example, in the case of pertussis, early vaccination is necessary due to anatomical characteristics as well – a child’s respiratory tract is narrower and therefore children have a higher risk of death due to pertussis (if possible, add a reference to a scientific source).
About 93% of children in Estonia are vaccinated. Due to this high percentage, those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons are also protected.
Vaccines have been tested
All vaccines used in Estonia have undergone long-term and multi-stage clinical trials and their affects are monitored daily by the Agency of Medicines and various international organizations such as World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control Various research institutions also regularly organise medical studies.
More materials concerning the safety and efficacy of vaccines can be found in this subsection. Statistics concerning the impact of vaccines on the spread of dangerous infectious diseases can be found here.