Should I choose a vaccine or an antiviral?
Every year in December-February there is an outbreak of influenza. Until this moment, the population is actively offered from the pages of the media and TV screens to be vaccinated against certain strains of this viral disease. An active vaccination campaign in Russia usually begins at the beginning of autumn, and vaccines are prepared in advance, based on WHO (World Health Organization) forecasts. Nobody dares to predict exactly how the virus will behave and what kind of strain will circulate this year. So does it make sense to get vaccinated? Who? When? What for? Or is it better to limit yourself to taking complex antiviral drugs?
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Pros and cons of vaccination
First of all , influenza vaccination is indicated for those who are at risk:
- older people (over 50),
- patients who are hospitalized in hospitals and clinics,
- children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years of age) receiving long-term treatment with acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and therefore at increased risk of developing Reye's syndrome after influenza,
- adults and children suffering from chronic diseases of the lungs or cardiovascular system (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart failure, etc.).
An absolute contraindication to almost all influenza vaccines is an allergy to chicken protein. But in adults it is very rare, but in children such an allergy is quite possible, therefore, before vaccination, this point must be clarified.
There are other contraindications to live vaccines, there are practically no contraindications to inactivated ones. They can be administered to adults and children from six months of age. But a live vaccine can be administered to children from only 3 years old. It is also less effective for vaccinating the elderly due to age-related changes in the immune system. However, it is not contraindicated for them.
Temporary contraindications to any vaccination are acute illness or exacerbation of a chronic illness. Vaccination should be done only against the background of absolute health.
Another important point is that the vaccine protects only against certain strains (types) of influenza. She cannot escape either from other strains of this virus, or from other SARS, of which, by the way, there are more than 200 species. That is, the vaccine cannot provide a non-specific immune response of the body to acute respiratory diseases. This can only be done by complex antiviral drugs.
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Non-specific immunity to ARVI - myth or reality?
The answer to this question is well illustrated by studies carried out by a number of Russian scientists.
For example, during a two-year double-blind study conducted under the guidance of an authoritative St. Petersburg immunologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the S. M. Kirov V. S. Smirnov, it was found that the use of the complex antiviral drug "Citovir-3" can increase the protective properties of immunity by 5 times. A total of 424 people took part in the clinical study at the Academy. The subjects observed:
- a decrease in the average annual incidence rate from 6-7 times a year to 1-3;
- a decrease in the intensity of the manifestation of symptoms, the duration of febrile states by 40%;
- no complications: pneumonia, otitis media, bronchitis, etc.
Another study showed that the action of the drug "Cytovir-3" allows several times to increase the effectiveness of the vaccine. So among those who took "Citovir-3" and were vaccinated, the incidence fell 3.3 times, and among those who received only the vaccine - only 1.9 times.
The good results of using this antiviral agent are associated with the successful combination of three medicinal substances in the preparation: bendazole, sodium thymogen and ascorbic acid. So, bendazole stimulates the natural production of interferons, has an antispasmodic and hypotensive effect. Thymogen sodium allows bendazole to maintain an adequate level of immune response for longer, thereby providing continuous protection for a long time. And ascorbic acid is an antioxidant, binding free radicals that are formed during the life of the virus.
Choosing a children's antiviral agent
Unfortunately, there are very few antiviral drugs that are ideal for children. Increased requirements are imposed on such drugs: in addition to being effective in the treatment of influenza and ARVI, the absence of side effects and the safety of use in childhood, these drugs must have another important quality - be hypoallergenic, i.e. do not provoke allergic reactions. This is exactly what the complex antiviral drug "Citovir-3" is in the form of a powder, developed under the supervision of specialists from the Russian Research Institute of Influenza and recommended for children from 1 to 6 years old.
Source: protiv-grippa.com
The main advantage of the powder form of the drug "Citovir-3" is the absence of sugar. It contains only non-allergenic fructose. Also, the preparation contains no artificial additives, dyes and preservatives. All this makes it possible to use it for children with restrictions on sugar consumption and with increased allergic reactions.
The assortment of "Tsitovir-3" contains powders with different flavors - cranberry, strawberry and orange. For children prone to allergies, it is better to choose a neutral powder without flavorings. According to the instructions, the drug must be dissolved in boiled water before use. It turns out to be a light, slightly sweetish drink that kids really like. This makes it easier for babies from 1 to 3 years old to take the medicine, who often have a gag reflex when taking pills, capsules or syrups.
In addition to high safety and hypoallergenicity, the important advantages of Citovir-3 powder are a short course of treatment (4 days) and compatibility with all symptomatic agents and even antibiotics. Timely and rational therapy with this drug is able to effectively prevent and treat influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections due to the combination of three highly effective components in its composition: bendazole, sodium thymogen and ascorbic acid.
Positive conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of the drug for children were given by the Research Institute of Influenza of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, the Research Institute of Children's Infections of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the Research Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and many others. According to the ARVI Treatment Protocols developed by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, along with vaccinations, antiviral drugs such as "Citovir-3" are mandatory for use in the treatment regimen.
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