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Vaccines are a regular occurrence in your baby's first 13 months. Most are given by your GP or local health clinic, and all are free of charge. We explain what diseases and infections vaccines protect your baby against.

 

 

 

 

Good to know
Immunisation does not give a hundred percent guarantee that your child will be immune to the diseases. The BCG vaccine given at birth immunises about 80% of children while with  the Hib, given at 13 months, it is between 95-100%.

The different vaccinations and their purpose

BCG

protects against tuberculosis

6 in 1 vaccination

Diphtheria –  bacterial infection that mainly affects throat and nose.
Tetanus – bacterial infection enters through a wound and can affect muscles and nerves.
Whooping cough – respiratory infection that causes sever coughing.
Polio – viral infection with flu-like symptoms, that in severe cases can cause muscle paralysis.
Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae B) Protects against Hib meningitis, pneumonia, infections of blood bones, joints and heart membrane.
Hepatitis B – a virus that affects the liver and cause liver disease.

PCV

(Pneumococcal) Bacterial infections that can cause pneumonia, blood infections and bacterial meningitis.

Men C

(Meningococcal C) protects against infections causing meningitis and blood poisoning.

MMR

Measles – viral infection with full body skin rash and flu-like symptoms.
Mumps – virus that infects glands which produce saliva for the mouth, situated between jawbone and ear.
Rubella – virus that affects the skin and lymph nodes. Dangerous to pregnant women.

Hib

(Haemophilus Influenzae B) Protects against Hib meningitis, pneumonia, infections of blood bones, joints and heart membrane.

4 in 1

top up for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough and Polio.

Td

This is a top up for Tetanus and Diphtheria

How vaccines work?

A vaccine is a small dose of a disease, which is injected into the body to get antibodies to build up the defences and thereby creating an immunity. If your baby or child comes in contact with a disease he is vaccinated for, his body will have the knowledge of how to battle it.

Vaccines does not work immediately, it takes the body a few weeks before a child can be considered immune. Most vaccines need top ups to give full immunity.

Vaccination side effects

The most common side effects with vaccination are sore arm, slight fever and in some cases crankiness. Most side effects of a vaccine will disappear within two to three days. There are few cases where children could have strong allergic reactions, such as difficulty breathing, fast heartbeat, hives, dizziness or swelling of the throat. You should consult your GP and find the cause of the reaction before your child is given another dose.
The milder side effects of immunisation can be treated with paracetamol or ibuprofen, for sore arms or fever. Keep your baby in a cool room and make sure he gets plenty of fluids. With some vaccines, such as MMR, the side effects can be delayed for 6-12 days.

When not to give vaccines

As a general rule, the only time vaccination is delayed is if you child has a high fever. Other symptoms of illness, such as colds or coughs, do not effect the immunisation. It is also safe to give a vaccine if your child is on antibiotics. Premature babies, babies born with a low-birth weight or jaundice are vaccinated as normal, but if you have any worries discuss it with your GP.

 

HSE immunisation schedule

Age	Where	Vaccination
At birth	Hospital/Clinic	BCG (TB)
2 months	GP	6 in 1 and PCV
4 months	GP	6 in 1, PVC and Men C
6 months	GP	6 in 1, PVC and Men C
12 months	GP	MMR and PCV
13 months	GP	Men C and Hib
4-5 years	GP/School	4 in 1 and MMR
11-14yrs	School	Td