Vaccinations

Hib/Men C booster at 12 months

Your baby should have received vaccinations to protect against these two conditions during the three combined vaccinations offered at two, three and four months. (If for some reason your child did not have these injections then, talk to your doctor about updating your child’s vaccinations as soon as possible.)

At one year these booster injections are important for continued protection. The Hib/Men C booster is given in one combined injection.

•Hib. The proper name for Hib is haemophilus influenzae type b. This can cause pneumonia and meningitis.

•Men C. This is the shortened name for Meningitis C. This is caused by the meningococcus group c bacterium. It can lead to blood poisoning and serious types of meningitis.

SUBHEAD MMR and PCV vaccines at 13 months

The MMR vaccine protects against illnesses which have been common in childhood in the past. In recent years, low uptake of this vaccine has seen the incidence of measles rise again. It is offered as one injection at 13 months, with another injection just before a child starts school.

PCV is offered as a separate injection at the same time.

•Measels. This virus can cause a bad rash and serious fever. In severe cases it can cause long term damage or even be fatal.

•Mumps. This virus causes extremely uncomfortable swelling just below the ears and in the worst cases it can cause deafness.

•Rubella. This is more commonly known as German measles and usually causes a less severe illness and rash. It is important that girls especially are protected from rubella as getting German measles during pregnancy later in life can cause birth defects.

•PCV. This stands for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Pneumococcal infections tend to affect younger children more than other groups, but in anyone it can cause serious problems like meningitis.

Protecting your child is extremely important. If you have any concerns or family medical reasons why you are hesitant about any vaccination, discuss this fully with your GP.