New immunisation plan in force for youngsters

CHILDREN will next year get their immunisation jabs from health visitors and school nurses. From January, Lukis House health visitors will provide pre-school boosters for youngsters aged between three and five, and nurses will give the school leaver ones for pupils aged 13-15.

Doctors will continue to provide the first course of vaccinations and the MMR jab.

The changes have come about in an attempt to streamline operations.

'We're trying to rationalise some of the processes to make it more logical,' said Health and Social Services senior manager Richard Evans.

'The health visitors already undertake pre-school checks at three-and-a-half to four years old, so it will fit in with those.

'We also want to increase the uptake of school-leaver boosters by giving them in the schools.'

Parents will receive appointment times along with information leaflets about the immunisations. Clinics for pre-school boosters will be held on Wednesdays at Lukis House. The school-leaver boosters will usually take place in the summer term.

All health visitors, school nurses and staff nurses have completed immunisation training.

Routine childhood immunisations have changed to include Pneumococcal and Hib/Meningitis C vaccines. The course will continue to be free.

When to immunise and diseases protected against:

Two months: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) pneumococcal (PCV)

Three months: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b), (DTaP/IPV/Hib) meningitis C (Men C)

Four months: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), (DTaP/IPV/Hib) Pneumococcal (PCV) Meningitis C (Men C)

Around 12 months: haemophilus influenzae type b, meningitis C (Hib/Men C)

Around 13 months: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) pneumococcal (PCV)

Three years four months to five: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (dTaP/IPVor (DTaP/IPV), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)

13-18: tetanus, diphtheria and polio (Td/IPV)