To your child's health

1:29pm Thursday 4th March 2004

A VACCINE helps a body produce antibodies to prevent specific diseases. For children, they help maintain health and, collectively, work to stamp out serious childhood diseases.

Vaccines are generally quite safe, and the very small risk of serious problems from them are far outweighed by the protection they provide.

Some may cause mild and temporary side effects, such as fever, soreness or a lump under the skin where the shot was given. Your GP can tell you about possible side effects with certain vaccines.

The most common vaccinationS DtaP is three vaccines in one shot given at the ages of two, three, four months and again between the ages of three-five and at school leaving age. It protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Diphtheria attacks the throat and heart. It can lead to heart failure and death. Tetanus is also called "lockjaw" and can lead to severe muscle spasms and death. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, causes coughing so severe that it becomes difficult to breathe, eat or drink, and can lead to pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage or death.

This vaccine protects for about 10 years, after which a booster shot called TD is needed, usually at around 11 years old, and boosters should be administered every 10 years thereafter.

IPV is a vaccine that helps prevent polio. It is given as a single shot and is given four times at the ages of two, three, four months and again at school leaving age. Polio can cause muscle pain and paralysis of one or both legs and arms. It may also paralyse the muscles used to breathe and swallow and even cause death.

MMR protects against measles, mumps and rubella. It is given as two shots.

Measles causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. It can lead to more serious problems, such as brain swelling and even death. Mumps causes fever, headache and painful swelling of one or both of the major saliva glands. Mumps can lead to meningitis and very rarely to brain swelling. Rarely it can cause the testicles of boys and men to swell, which can affect fertility.

Rubella, also called German measles, causes slight fever, a rash and swelling of the glands in the neck. Rubella can also cause brain swelling or a problem with bleeding.

If a pregnant woman catches rubella, it can cause her to lose her baby or have a baby who is blind or deaf or has learning difficulties.

HIB vaccine helps prevent haemophilias influenza type B. This is given to children at two, three and four months through a single injection.

Haemophilias influenza type B is the leading cause of serious illness in children. It can lead to meningitis, pneumonia or a severe throat infection that can cause choking.

Meningitis C vaccine protects against a type of bacteria that is the common cause of ear infections. The bacteria can also cause more serious illness, such as meningitis and bacteraemia, which is an infection in the blood stream. This is given at two, three and four months.

There are other vaccines available, such as the HBV, which helps prevent against the hep B virus, an infection of the liver that can lead to liver cancer and death.

Children should be vaccinated at various stages in their early lives, so you should ask your GP for details and to advise you of your appointments. Normally a booster is organised through your child's school or through your local health authority by letter.

There are some special situations when children should not be vaccinated, such as when they are suffering from certain types of cancer or certain diseases or are taking drugs that lower the body's ability to resist infection.

The MMR vaccine should not be given to children who have a serious allergy to eggs.

If your child has a serious reaction to the first shots in a series of shots, your GP will probably talk to you about the pros and cons of giving your child the rest of the shots in the series. If you child has a fever on the day of the vaccination, then the appointment should be postponed.

If you feel that you would benefit from seeing Dr Ali or one of his team of GPs at the Bupa Roding Hospital, call 0870 7541575 to make an appointment or alternatively email him on dr.ali@u-firsthealthcare.co.uk. A GP is available from 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week.