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Child immunisation

Dr Tanya Byron

Immunisation is the best way for you to protect your child against the many serious diseases that they can be exposed to while they are young and while their immune system is still developing.

Vaccines are given to your child on the NHS and the immunisation process starts 2 months after your child is born. It is important that the vaccination process doesn't begin before your baby is 8 weeks old because the antibodies your baby is born with can stop the vaccine working. However at 2 months old your baby's antibodies will have depleted meaning the vaccination schedule can begin. Obviously if you delay this process for any reason your baby will be unprotected after 2 months of age.

Even if your child is born prematurely the start time of the vaccination schedule is the same as if they were born on her due date.

Immediately after the birth of your child your doctor will notify you as to when you should begin vaccinating your child. Within the first 2 months of your child leaving hospital you will receive, in the post, a letter telling you when you and your baby should attend your local hospital or clinic to begin the immunisation schedule. After the first sets of vaccination injections you will be given a card with the details of your child's vaccination process.

Every vaccine is given as a single injection into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm, the 2009 routine childhood immunisation programme issued by the NHS is as follows:

• At 2 months your child will be given the DTaP/IPV/ Hib + Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) vaccines which protect against; Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (hib), Pneumococcal infection
• At 3 months old your child will be given the DTaP/IPV/Hib + Men C vaccines which protect against Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Meningitis C
• At 4 months old your child will be given the DTaP/IPV/Hib + Men C + PCV vaccines which protect against Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b(Hib) Meningitis C and Pneumococcal infection
• At around 12 months your child will be given the Hib/Men C vaccines which protect against Haemophilus influenze type b (Hib) + Meningitis C
• At around 13 months old your child will be given the MMR + PCV vaccines which protect against Measles, mumps and rubella + Pneumococcal infection
• At 3 years and 4 months or soon after your child will be given the DTaP/IPV or dTaP/IPV + MMR vaccines which protect against Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio + Measles, mumps and rubella
• Girls aged 12 to 13 years will be given the HPV vaccine which will protect against Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus types 16 and 18
• 13 to 18 year olds will be given the Td/IPV vaccines which protect against Diphtheria, tetanus, polio

Please refer to the NHS website for the latest childhood immunisation programme.

Should your child miss any of the routine vaccinations for any reason, you should immediately contact your GP to arrange doing the missed vaccination. Of course there are other non-routine vaccines your child may need for instance if you are travelling abroad or for any outbreaks of certain new strains of viruses such as the H1N1 (or swine flu) virus, but you should check with your GP as to whether or not your child should have them.

A fever may occur following you child's immunisations because vaccines contain small amounts of the agent they are designed to protect against. Your baby's body temperature is normally between 36 and 37°C, and variations of between 0.5 and 1 degree are not uncommon within a day. A fever is an abnormally high temperature i.e. above 38°C

You can treat a fever by:

1. Keeping your child cool:
   -Making sure they don't have too many layers of clothes or blankets on
   -Giving them plenty of cool drinks
2. Give them infant paracetamol or ibuprofen liquid. Read the instructions on the bottle carefully and give the correct dose for your child's age.

When should you be concerned about a fever?

Speak to your doctor or call NHS direct on 0845 46 47. Call the doctor immediately if your baby has a temperature of 39°C or has a fit.

If the surgery is closed and you can't contact your doctor, go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital.

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