Vaccination Advice

In the UK, a number of vaccinations for infants will be administered at 8, 12 and 16 weeks, and then at 1 year. These vaccinations comprise the immunisation schedule for infants in the UK.

These vaccinations include:

– 6-in-1 – which protects against diphtheria, hepatitis B, hib, polio, tetanus, and whooping cough.

– Hib or MenC – which protects against the haemophilus influenzae bacterium and meningitis C.

– MenB – which protects against sepsis and meningitis.

– MMR – which protects against mumps, measles and rubella.

– PCV jab – which protects against pneumococcal infections that can cause meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis.

– RV jab – which protects against the rotavirus infection that leads to diarrhoea and vomiting.

You might be concerned that vaccinations could weaken your child’s immune system, but this is actually a common misconception. Infants’ immune systems are able to handle their vaccination schedule because they are already exposed to a large number of germs on a daily basis. This means that their immune systems are very capable of coping with multiple vaccinations.

This is something you needn’t be concerned about. Having multiple vaccinations at the same time has been found to be safe for children. There is scientific evidence which shows that getting several vaccinations in one appointment does not lead to chronic health issues.

Your child might have a mild reaction to vaccinations. In most cases, these reactions are swelling at the shot site, redness or tenderness, and are not considered to be serious. In most cases, these reactions are noticeable in the hours after the shot was given, and will dissipate in just a day or two. Serious reactions to vaccinations are rare.