Essential immunisations to schedule this year

Vaccination is a vital part of keeping your little one healthy, particularly in the first years of life, before their immune system has fully developed, says West Coast paediatrician Dr Susan Annandale. Children are exposed to countless germs each day, and while their systems can handle most, some can cause serious diseases that may overpower them.
 
Vaccination works by introducing tiny amounts of inactivated or weakened viruses or bacteria, or bits of both, into their system, triggering their bodies to produce antibodies and memory cells to fight them. These will then be ready to attack when they encounter the viruses and bacteria later.
 
Side effects of vaccines are usually mild and short-lived, such as localised redness, swelling or a slight fever, says Gauteng GP Dr Albie de Frey, who as CEO of Travel Doctor Corporate, deals extensively with vaccinations. “In very rare cases there may be an allergic reaction, but it usually happens in minutes, which is why it is important to have vaccinations in a well-established immunisation clinic with medical professionals.”
 
The tiny risk needs to be weighed against going unvaccinated and contracting dangerous diseases. For instance, the risk of a child having a serious reaction to measles vaccine is one in a million. But contracting measles carries around a one in 20 risk of pneumonia, and a one in 1 000 of encephalitis (which can cause convulsions, deafness and intellectual disability).
 
Check with your healthcare provider which vaccinations your little one needs this year, and schedule them now. The recommended schedule balances when a child is likely to be exposed to a disease and when a vaccine will be more effective.
 
At birth, as part of the South African vaccination schedule, your little one will be given an injection of BCG vaccine against contracting tuberculosis (TB), a disease which can seriously affect the lungs and other organs, and vaccine drops against polio, which can cause paralysis. “TB is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in South Africa,” says Dr Annandale.

At 6 weeks:

Take baby to the clinic for immunisation against:
• Rotavirus, which can cause severe diarrhoea and be deadly in young children.
• Streptococcus pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis and ear infections.
• Diphtheria (a serious infection of the nose and throat which can cause heart damage and kidney failure); tetanus (a potentially fatal bacterial infection that affects the nerves); pertussis (whooping cough); polio; haemophilus influenza type B (Hib, another life-threating bacterial infection); and hepatitis B (a highly contagious liver infection) – this is a six-in-one injection.

At 10 weeks:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and hepatitis B (second shot).

At 14 weeks:

• Rotavirus (second dose).
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (second dose).
• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and hepatitis B (third and final shot).

At 6 months:

• First measles injection.
• Polio booster.

At 9 months:

• Second measles shot.
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (third dose).

At 18 months:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib and hepatitis B (booster shot).

At 6 years:

• Tetanus and diphtheria (booster shot).

At 9-12 years:

• Two injections against human papillomavirus (HPV) given to girls, six months apart, as part of the schools’ programme; it can also be given to boys in private clinics. It protects against genital warts, and cervical, vaginal, anal and penile cancers. “There is already a significant decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer because of this vaccine,” says Dr Annandale.

Optional immunisations:

Ask your health provider about shots available through private doctors and pharmacies to protect against:
• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR): a single shot at 12 months.
• Chickenpox: at 15 months and 6 years.
• Meningitis: at 9 months and 15 months.
• Hepatitis A: at 12 months and 18 months.
• Influenza: given annually, from six months old, before the flu season starts each May.

Baby immunisations are available at Clicks Clinics. Click here to make a booking.

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