German measles

German measles

Another vaccine development provides protection against German measles. This form of measles also was once thought to be innocuous- and it is virtually harmless except when it occurs during the first three months of pregnancy when it may damage the unborn child. At the moment, no inoculations are available to provide complete protection against the common cold, some strains of influenza, and some forms of pneumonia, although flu shots are being used increasingly in the fall of the year to give some measure of protection over the winter.

See the discussion of pneumonia (page 637) for more information about the place of vaccine in this disease.

Between 6 and 12 months before 1 year 16 to 18 months 4 years Smallpox vaccination

Typhoid fever inoculations (for children in rural areas or where water supply is of doubtful nature)

 1st triple-shot booster; 1st polio booster

2nd triple-shot booster

Other Protection Even after some germs have gained a foothold, immunization can be of value. For example, for rabies and tetanus, injections can be of value when administered between the time the germs start to grow and the time symptoms would appear. 

But remember that time is short and there should be no delay in getting treatment if you have any reason to suspect these germs have entered your body. In some cases, injections help even after illness is under way and symptoms are present. 

For example, in diphtheria, antitoxin can be injected to neutralize the poisonous effects of the organisms. Chemotherapeutic Agents Chemotherapy is a valuable ally of immune therapy. It is the use of specific medicines capable of combatting disease organisms in the body when immunization is not available. 

To be used in chemotherapy, a therapeutic compound must have the facility of being harmful to micro- organisms without harming body cells. Malaria was probably the first disease to be controlled by a specific medical substance, quinine, which was used by the Inca Indians in Peru more than 300 years ago. Paul Ehrlich, father of modern chemotherapy, discovered salvarsan, an arsenic compound helpful against syphilis.