Childhood vaccinations
ParentsCentre's expert Dr Stuart Flanagan continues his series of articles by covering childhood vaccinations. Dr Flanagan is an experienced physician who also works as a contributor and medical adviser for a number of BBC projects - you can download his biography at the bottom of this page. He will be writing monthly articles for the site, including bedwetting, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, discussing contraception with teenagers, acne in adolescence and common diseases in childhood.
Childhood vaccinations
One of the most important responsibilities for all new parents is to protect
their newborn baby from serious illness. The Government and NHS's
immunisation programme ensures that every child is offered suitable protection
against some of the most common and preventable illnesses, giving them the best
possible opportunity to have a happy and healthy childhood. Parents play their
part by ensuring their baby gets regular health check-ups and by keeping their
vaccination appointments.
In this column, I will explain why we should offer all our children
immunisation. I will also cover the immunisation schedule and explain each of
the vaccines and diseases they cover. In particular I'll be discussing some
of the concerns regarding the MMR vaccine.
To immunise or not?
A lot of parents have concerns about immunising their children. Some common
concerns include "Will this mean my child has some of the symptoms of the
disease they are being vaccinated against?" "Are the media reports
true about side effects associated with the MMR vaccine?"
The reason children are offered immunisation is to prevent serious illness. It
will also protect the whole community if every child grows up disease-free -
indeed, this may one day eradicate some of our most common illnesses, reducing
the need for immunisation. This has already occurred with smallpox, which was
eradicated in the 1970s, so we no longer need to immunise against this
particular disease.
It is understandable to be concerned about vaccinating your child - after all,
no parent wants to subject their healthy child to an unpleasant experience like
an injection. With all medications there are potential side effects. When
prescribing any medication, your doctor should help you weigh up the risks and
benefits.
Vaccines have been put through rigorous clinical trials to test their safety,
side effects and how well they work before they are offered to the public. The
risks of side effects with vaccines used in the immunisation programme are very
small compared to the risk of illness and potential disability if you catch the
disease.
The risk of contracting disease is greatly increased without immunisation, and
your child will be vulnerable to some of the most disabling and deadly diseases
we know.
Vaccination protects your child and the whole population, which is why the
World Health Organisation (WHO) described it as "one of the public health
interventions that has had the greatest impact on the world's
health."
The UK Government and NHS have drawn up a vaccination schedule to ensure your
baby gets their immunisation at the most appropriate time in their development.
The first set of vaccines start at two months old, which is around the time
that the antibodies the baby has received in the womb will stop
functioning.
The vaccine will offer protection in future months and years. Any delay in the
schedule will leave a baby unprotected and may increase the risk of side
effects with some of the vaccines. This is especially important for premature
babies, who are particularly vulnerable to infection. They can receive their
vaccines in accordance with the recommended schedule.
If your baby has missed an appointment or is over the recommended age in the
schedule, they shouldn't miss out on a vaccine. Make an appointment with
your family doctor as soon as possible.
How Do Vaccines Work?
Vaccines work in one of two ways - by either active or passive immunity.
Active Immunity is when the vaccine stimulates an antibody
response from your immune system so that you have enough defence mechanisms in
place to prevent infection from disease.
Passive Immunity is when the vaccine gives the body
antibodies, rather than stimulating their production. Newborn babies already
have passive immunity thanks to antibodies passed on from Mum while they were
developing in the womb. However, these antibodies only last for a short time,
which is why baby needs further help from vaccination in the first few months
of life.
Dr
Stuart Flanagan's biography
- download (.doc)
(help)
The vaccination schedule:
Two/three/four/12
months old - Dtap/IPV/Hib, PCV and Men C vaccines
Around
13 months old - MMR triple vaccine
Around
three years four months to five years old - DTap/IPV and MMR
