Many potentially fatal childhood diseases have been virtually eradicated in the UK due to the availability of vaccination. It is nonetheless very important that babies and children are fully immunised. Reminders are sent out by the practice.
HIB (Haemophilus influenzae type B) can cause:
a type of meningitis | a severe form of croup (epiglottitis) | |
blood poisoning (septicaemia) | joint and bone infections | pneumonia |
Each year about 1,300 children in the UK are infected by HIB and over half of these children develop HIB meningitis. HIB immunisation is now offered to all babies and children up to four years old. We strongly recommend that all children under four receive this immunisation.
Current recommendations are:
The routine immunisation schedule from Autumn 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Age Due | Diseases Protected Against | Vaccine Given and Trade Name | Usual Site† | |
Eight weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) | DTaP/IPV/Hib | Infanrix hexa | Thigh |
Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) | Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) | Prevenar 13 | Thigh | |
Meningococcal group B (MenB) | MenB | Bexsero | Left thigh | |
Rotavirus gastroenteritis | Rotavirus | Rotarix | By mouth | |
Twelve weeks | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and hepatitis B | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB | Infanrix hexa | Thigh |
Rotavirus | Rotavirus | Rotarix | By mouth | |
Sixteen weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and hepatitis B | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB | Infanrix hexa | Thigh |
MenB | MenB | Bexsero | Left thigh | |
Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) | PCV | Prevenar 13 | Thigh | |
One year old (on or after the child’s first birthday) | Hib and MenC | Hib/MenC | Menitorix | Upper arm/thigh |
Pneumococcal | PCV | Prevenar 13 | Upper arm/thigh | |
Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) | MMR | MMR VaxPRO‡ or Priorix | Upper arm/thigh | |
MenB | MenB booster | Bexsero | Left thigh | |
Two to eight* years old (including children in reception class and school years 1-4) | Influenza (each year from September) | Live attenuated influenza vaccine LAIV+ | Fluenz Tetra‡ | Both nostrils |
Three years four months old or soon after | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio | DTaP/IPV | Infanrix IPV or Repevax | Upper arm |
Measles, mumps and rubella | MMR (check first dose given) | MMR VaxPRO‡ or Priorix | Upper arm | |
Girls aged 12 to 13 years | Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 (and genital warts caused by types 6 and 11) | HPV (two doses 6-24 months apart) | Gardasil | Upper arm |
Fourteen years old (school year 9) | Tetanus, diphtheria and polio | Td/IPV (check MMR status) | Revaxis | Upper arm |
Meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y disease | MenACWY | Nimenrix or Menveo | Upper arm | |
65 years old | Pneumococcal (23 serotypes) | Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) | Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine | Upper arm |
65 years of age and older | Influenza (each year from September) | Inactivated influenza vaccine | Multiple | Upper arm |
70 years old | Shingles | Shingles | Zostavax‡ | Upper arm |
† Where two or more injections are required at once, these should ideally be given in different limbs. Where this is not possible, injections in the same limb should be given 2.5cm apart. For more details see Chapters 4 and 11 in the Green Book. All injected vaccines are given intramuscularly unless stated otherwise.
‡ Contains porcine gelatine
* Age on 31 August 2017
+ If LAIV (live attenuated influenza vaccine) is contraindicated and child is in a clinical risk group, use inactivated flu vaccine
Click here for the routine immunisation schedule (EXTERNAL LINK).
Tetanus Infection
Tetanus infection may be picked up from wounds occurring in the garden or street. We recommend that everyone has a booster every 10 years.