Children's Health, Vaccination, Immunisation and Healthy Start

What is Healthy Start ?

Healthy start is the new name for the Welfare Food Scheme-instead of milk tokens you will now get Healthy Start vouchers to spend on milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegatables and infant formula. You can also get free vitamin supplements.

For further information go to Healthy Start or contact your Health Visitor – 0141 531 9216

For a full range of health matters for children please go directly to NHS guide to Childrens’ Health.

Immunisation Information

Immunisations could be deferred if your child is unwell i.e. has a fever, chest infection and is on antibiotics, suspicious rash etc. A head cold, snuffles or teething problems should not stop a child from getting immunised. Your GP will examine the child’s chest if necessary, on immunisation day (the first Thursday of the month) to make sure it is clear. If in doubt, phone your Health Visitor Catherine Haughey (0141 531 9216) or your GP (0141 531 9560) prior to the child’s immunisation appointment. Any concerns will be dealt with. Alternatively, attend with your child on the day- he/she will be examined prior to immunisation. If unwell another appointment will be sent.

BCG Vaccination-Important

If you can answer yes to any of the following questions the baby may need to have a BCG vaccination , please discuss this with your Health Visitor.

Have you the patient, patient’s family or baby’s father or his family lived in one of these countries that have a high rate of TB?

Please go the link shown below to display these countries.
High Risk TB Countries

Will you the patient and your baby be going to live for more than one month or travel frequently in one of these countries in the near future?

Is there anyone in your house or anyone else who is likley to have long-term close contact with your baby who has TB, or has had it in the past or comes from one of these countries?

When are immunisations given?

Most vaccinations are given during childhood. Some are given more than once to make sure the protection continues. This ‘top-up’ is called a booster.
The recommended timetable for childhood vaccinations is:

At two months old

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection

At three months old

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection

At four months old

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection

At around 12 months old

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) – booster dose in one injection

At around 13 months old

• Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection

Three years four months to five years old (pre-school)

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) – one injection
• Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection

13 to 18 years old

• Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (Td/IPV) – one injection

Immunisation appointment

The Health Board will send you an appointment when your baby’s immunisation is due. It is important that your baby has their immunisations as near to two, three and four months of age as possible, to keep the risk of them catching these diseases as low as possible. Premature babies should also be immunised from two months after birth, regardless of how premature they were.

Health record book

Your child’s health record book forms the only complete record of their childhood immunisations. Vaccinations given at a health clinic or school are not necessarily added to the child’s notes held by their GP – therefore it is very important to keep the health record book in a safe place. Details of childhood illnesses and immunisations are often needed later in life – without them, booster vaccinations may be required if the level of immunity is unknown.

Gap between vaccinations.

It is recommended that there is at least a month’s gap between each vaccination to allow their body to build up an adequate immune response. If the gap between vaccinations is less than a month, then an adequate immune response cannot be guaranteed and the immunisation may have to be redone.

If the gap between immunisations is longer than a month, you should just continue the course where you left off, although it is advised that your baby has immunisations at regular monthly intervals if possible. If you miss an appointment, make sure you contact your doctor’s surgery as soon as possible to rearrange immunisations.

Parents/Guardians should contact your Health Visitor if they have any questions, or concerns, regarding the child vaccination schedule.

Other vaccinations

Other vaccinations are given in some situations:

• Tetanus – if all childhood vaccinations are up-to-date, a tetanus booster is only needed for people who are at risk of getting tetanus following injury.
• Polio – boosters are advised every 10 years for healthcare workers who may come into contact with the disease.
• Flu vaccine and/or pneumococcal vaccine is offered to those over 65 years of age, and to people at risk from flu, or invasive pneumococcal infection.
• Hepatitis B vaccine is offered to people who may come into contact with the disease, such as healthcare workers.
• BCG (against tuberculosis, or TB). A new targeted vaccination programme was introduced in September 2005. Only those at high risk of TB (including babies and older people) will now be vaccinated. This replaces the previous system where all children were vaccinated at school at the age of 14 (approximately).

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