Baby & Child Health

DTaP/IPV/Hib is a primary immunisation given to babies when they are 2, 3 and 4 months old.
The DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine protects against five different diseases:

• diphtheria (D)
• tetanus (T)
• pertussis (whooping cough) (P)
• polio (IPV - inactivated polio vaccine)
• Hib (haemophilus influenzae type

The pneumococcal vaccine (or pneumo vaccine for short) protects against pneumococcal infection.
This infection can cause diseases such as pneumonia,septicaemia and meningitis.

Children are offered pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) at two, four and 13 months, with people who are 65 and over being routinely offered pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) to protect against pneumococcal disease.

Before September 2006, Hib and Men C vaccines were given to babies at two, three and four months. Hib was given as part of the combined DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine, and Men C as a separate injection.

From September 2006 all children were offered a booster dose of Hib/Men C shortly after their first birthday.
Protect your child and make sure you know about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia - early treatment is essential, and can save children's lives.

Some important answers we should consider:

Why is a booster dose of Hib/Men C needed?
This booster is needed to ensure longer term protection from these two infections through the early childhood years, and tomake sure that disease levels remain low in the general population

When will my child be given the Hib/Men C vaccine?
Your child will receive Hib/Men C vaccine just after their first birthday

What are the signs and symptoms of meningococcal C disease?
Meningitis is infection of the lining of the brain. Meningitis can be caused by several types of bacteria or viruses. Infection with meningococcal bacteria can also cause diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia (blood poisoning), pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the sac that contains the heart) and arthritis (swelling of the joints).

In babies, the main symptoms of meningitis may include:

• a high-pitched, moaning cry
• irritable when picked up
• a bulging fontanelle
• drowsy and less responsive - being difficult to wake
• floppy and listless or stiff with jerky movements
• refusing feeds, vomiting
• skin that is pale, blotchy or turning blue, and
• fever

It is important to remember that not every child will develop all the symptoms listed. If a child develops some of the symptoms listed, especially red or purple spots, get medical help urgently. If you can't get in touch with your doctor, or are still worried after getting advice, trust your instincts and take your child to the emergency department of your nearest hospital.

The glass test
You can check a rash by performing the glass test. Press the side of a clear drinking glass firmly against the rash so you can see if the rash fades and loses colour under pressure. If it doesn't change colour, contact your doctor immediately.

Measles
Measles is caused by a very infectious virus. Nearly everyone who catches it will have a high fever, a rash and generally be unwell. Children often have to spend about five days in bed and could be off school for ten days. Adults are likely to be ill for longer. It is not possible to tell who will be seriously affected by measles. The complications of measles affect one in every 15 children. The complications include chest infections, fits, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and brain damage. In very serious cases, measles kills.

Mumps
Mumps is caused by a virus which can lead to fever, headache, and painful, swollen glands in the face, neck and jaw. It can result in permanent deafness, viral meningitis (swelling of the lining of the brain) and encephalitis. Rarely, it causes painful swelling of the testicles in males and the ovaries in females. Mumps is spread in the same way as measles. It is about as infectious as flu.

Rubella
(German measles) is a disease caused by a virus. In children it is usually mild and can go unnoticed. It causes a short-lived rash, swollen glands and a sore throat. Rubella is very serious for unborn babies. It can seriously damage their sight, hearing, heart and brain. Rubella infection in the first three months of pregnancy causes damage to the unborn baby in nine out of ten cases. This condition is called congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). In many of the cases, pregnant women caught rubella from their own, or their friends, children. syndrome. Rubella is spread in the same way as measles and mumps. It is about as infectious as flu.

Meningococcal Conjugate (MenC) vaccine protects against infection by meningococcal group C.
Meningococcal group C is a type of bacteria that can cause meningitis and septicaemia. The MenC vaccine does not protect against meningitis caused by other bacteria or by viruses.

MenC is a primary immunisation given to babies when they are 3 and 4 months old with a dose of the combined Hib/MenC vaccine being given at 12 months. Three doses are given to make sure that your child's body can develop a good immune response to the disease. The gap between these different doses of vaccines is there to ensure that each dose has time to work.

MenC is also available to everyone under 25. While the risk of the disease is generally low in adults, there is a greater risk for people aged between 20 and 24. If you are in this age group and have had the new MenC vaccine before, at school or higher education, you will not need to have the vaccine again.

dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV is a booster vaccine given to your child when they are between 3 years and four months and 5 years old.

The dTaP/IPV and DTaP/IPV vaccines protects against four different diseases:

• diphtheria (d/D)
• tetanus (T)
• pertussis (whooping cough) (P)
• polio (IPV - inactivated polio vaccine)

Td/IPV is a booster vaccine given to young people between the ages of 13 and 18.

The Td/IPV booster vaccine tops up your protection against three different diseases:

• tetanus (T)
• diphtheria (d)
• polio (IPV inactivated polio vaccine

HPV stands for human papillomavirus. There are over 100 types of HPV but only 13 of them are known to cause cancer. The others are harmless or cause genital warts.

You get HPV by being sexually active with someone else who has it. It is very common and over half of all women who have sex will get infected with HPV at some time in their lifetime. Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix – which is the entrance to the womb. 99% of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

How HPV can cause cervical cancer
Most HPV infections are harmless or cause genital warts, however some types can cause cervical cancer.
Most HPV infections clear up by themselves, but in some people the infection can last a long time. HPV infects the cells of the surface of the cervix where it can stay for many years without you knowing. The HPV virus can damage these cells leading to changes in their appearance. Over time, these changes can develop into cervical cancer.

The purpose of cervical screening (testing) is to detect these changes, which, if picked up early enough, can be treated to prevent cancer happening. If they are left untreated, cancer can develop and may lead to serious illness and death. What the HPV vaccine protects against
The HPV vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV (16 and 18) that cause cervical cancer in over 70% of women. It does not protect against any other sexually transmitted infections or against pregnancy.
Because the HPV vaccine does not protect against ALL cervical cancers, it is really important for all girls to have cervical screening later in life. The NHS cervical screening programme will continue after the introduction of the HPV vaccine (cervical screening in England is offered from the age of 25).

Is the vaccine safe?
The vaccine has undergone rigorous safety testing as part of the licensing process required here in the UAE, UK and other European countries.

Who’s the vaccine for?
The HPV vaccination programme started in September 2008 with all 12- to 13-year-old and 17- to 18-year-old girls being offered the vaccine. A catch-up programme was also announced at this time with 13- to 18-year-old girls being offered the vaccine over the following two academic years.