Why change the immunisations?Every two years the National Immunisation Schedule is reviewed. Changes occur if more effective vaccines are licensed in New Zealand, if disease patterns change or if new research provides insights into how and when immunisations should be given Why is it important to immunise my children?Immunisation helps to ensure that many serious diseases that can seriously harm our children may be avoided. When the child is immunised, the body's immune system reacts towards the immunisation and forms a protection against the diseases that they are immunised against. Some parents focus on the side effects of the immunisations more than on the diseases the child is protected from. It is important to understand that the risk of serious complications in connection with vaccination is very low, compared to the risk from the diseases should a child contract them. How well does immunisation work? Immunisation works very well in preventing a range of serious diseases. It is one of the most researched areas of medicine and the most valuable health care measure that's ever been developed. Over the years immunisation has controlled and stopped many of the diseases that cause illness or death in children. How safe is vaccination? Before any medicine is licensed in New Zealand it has been through extensive scientific research and independent review. This can take ten years or more. Only those vaccines that have excellent safety profiles are ever used in New Zealand. Does my child need all the recommended immunisations? Yes. Often a course of immunisation takes more than one injection. Some of the later injections are boosters for the earlier ones. Booster ensure that immunity lasts for a long time. It is importnant to receive all the doses or protection against disease is less likely to be acheived. What are the recommended immunisations? Why are combined immunisations given? Most immunisations are now given in combinations such as the DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib which protects against the six diseases of diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio, Hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae type B. Combining the immunisations minimises the number of injections required.
Will immunisation be too much for my baby’s immune system? No. Immunisation strengthens your baby’s immune system by training it to fight off the germs which cause diseases, without causing disease. Every day, babies come into contact with millions of germs, just by crawling on the floor and breathing the air around them. Babies' immune systems become stronger as they come into contact with germs and immunisations and they learn to make immune responses against them. What if my child has allergies or asthma? In children with asthma, eczema, hayfever and allergies, immunisations should be given. An important exception is a genuine severe allergy called anaphylaxis to the vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. Vaccinators are trained to ask questions about allergies. Should children be immunised if they have a fever? If the child just has an ordinary cold or another mild illness, but their temperature is normal or slightly raised, it is safe for them to be vaccinated. Only when children have a fever above 38ºC, the vaccination should be postponed. How long will my child be protected by the diseases immunised against? After a completed immunisation programme, your child will be protected from: - Diphtheria and Tetanus: For at least 10 years, or possibly longer.
- Whooping cough: For at least three years, and probably as long as six to twelve years. If those who have been vaccinated do get the disease in later life, it is a milder version.
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (German measles): Over the time that has elapsed since the immunisation was first developed, it would appear to offer long-lasting protection that is probably life-long.
- Haemophilus influenzae type b: Duration of protection from the immunisation is not known as children acquire natural immunity by around 6 years. As children gradually acquire natural immunity, the number of doses can be reduced with increasing age. However, immunisation is recommended up to the age of 15 years for children whom have had their spleen surgically removed.
- Polio: A full course of polio immunisation usually ensures life-long protection. However, if an adult is going to an area where polio is present it may pay to have a booster.
- Hepatitis B: A full course of immunisation appears to result in long-term immunity. At the present time, booster doses are not routinely recommended for persons with normal immune systems. However, as the current vaccine has not been in use for many years this will not be known for sure until the early recipients are older. Experts are continuing to monitor the long-term effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccine and will issue recommendations on the need for booster doses if evidence shows they are necessary.
What are the side effects of the different types of immunisations? All medicines have risks as well as benefits. Any serious side effects (such as an allergic reaction) are very rare. Most children experience little or no ill effects after immunisations. Some of the minor effects reported include mild fever, tenderness or swelling and redness at the site of injection. What is the difference between Boostrix®, Infanrix™-hexa and Infanrix™ vaccines?The infant vaccines Infanrix™-Hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) protects against 6 diseases, Infanrix™- (DTaP) protects against 3 diseases and the adolescent/adult vaccine Boostrix® (dTap) gives booster protection against 3 diseases. The infant and adult vaccines contain different volumes of some active ingredients, or antigens. Infanrix™-hexa and Infanrix™ have a higher volume of diphtheria and acellular pertussis antigens, which are needed to stimulate strong primary immunity. The adolescent/adult dose (dTap) - Boostrix® contains smaller doses of the diphtheria and pertussis components, denoted by the lower case letters. Clinical trials show these smaller doses effectively boost the waning protection for adolescents. Local site reactions to DTaP vaccines increase after the 4th dose and the dTap is likely to mean fewer reactions in adolescents.
Is there a link between the MMR vaccine and autism?
Scientific research cleary demonstrates that MMR vaccine does not cause Autism. There have now been many very large studies conducted all over the world and all consistently find there is no association. There have been many summaries on this topic written. What is the difference between Prevenar® and Pneumovax®?Prevenar® and Pneumovax® are vaccines against pneumococcal disease. Prevenar® offers protection against 7 common strains of pneumococcal disease and Pneumovax® against 23 strains. The vaccines are very different in the way they are made. Pneumovax® is a poylysaccharide vaccine (made from sugars from the bacterial coat). It is not very effective in infants under 2 years of age due to immaturity of their immune system. Prevenar® is a conjugate vaccine which means that the sugars that are used in the vaccine have been attached to a special protein to make them more attractive to the immune system. Young infants respond well to this type of vaccine. Parents and caregivers with questions about issues raised in a pamphlet entitled "What's all the fuss about?" distributed by the Immunisation Awareness Society may have many questions and you may find the Immunisation Advisory Centre's response to this flyer useful.
To read the Immunisation Advisory Centre's response to the anti-immunisation flyer "What's all the fuss about?" click here. |
