PARENTS have been warned that failing to get kids vaccinated could cause new outbreaks of measles, meningitis and hepatitis B.
A report from The Health and Social Care Committee stated last week that England did not meet the 95 per cent target for routine childhood immunisations in 2021/22.
GettyParents have been warned that failing to get kids vaccinated could cause new outbreaks of measles, meningitis and hepatitis B[/caption]
Parents have blamed inconvenient times and locations of appointments.
Now the UK risks losing its position as a global leader on vaccination.
In 2019 it was stripped of its status as measles-free by the World Health Organisation, because of the drastic reduction in parents taking their babies for the MMR jab.
It has led to a spike in measles cases, with 128 reported between January and June this year compared with 54 in the whole of 2022.
The Sun on Sunday’s GP, Dr Jeff Foster, said: “It has been extremely difficult to get some families to bring their children in even though we send letters, texts and even call.
“Despite the overwhelming evidence that they keep us healthy and prevent debilitating disease and death, there has always been an anti-vaccine movement.
“Vaccines have saved millions of lives. They are ex- tremely safe.
“Without childhood immunisations we could see a return to deadly illnesses.
“It’s thanks to vaccines that we are not still dying from smallpox in this country, and why we’ve been able to get our lives back on track after the Covid pandemic.”
Today Dr Jeff gives his guide to vaccinations . . .
What are vaccines?
THE first vaccine was created in 1796 by Dr Edward Jenner.
He inoculated a healthy boy with a sample taken from a sore on the hand of a milkmaid infected with cowpox.
Two months later Dr Jenner inoculated the boy with smallpox, but he did not become ill – he was protected.
This is still the basic principle – give a small or inactive dose of a virus to a healthy individual and their immune system will fight it off and, more importantly, remember it.
Then, the next time they are exposed to the virus, their immune system can attack it and beat the infection.
New vaccines are targeted at a much more scientific level.
They work by delivering the genetic code of the virus so our cells can learn to make an immune response against it.
What jabs does your child need?
EIGHT WEEKS OLD
6-in-1 vaccine – covers diphtheria, hepatitis B, haemophilus, polio, tetanus and whooping cough
Rotavirus vaccine – for highly infectious stomach bugs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting
MenB vaccine – protects against meningococcal group B bacteria that cause meningitis and sepsis
TWELVE WEEKS OLD
6-in-1 vaccine (second dose)
Pneumococcal vaccine – guards against pneumonia and meningitis
Rotavirus vaccine (second dose)
SIXTEEN WEEKS OLD
6-in-1 vaccine (third dose)
MenB vaccine (second dose)
ONE YEAR OLD
Hib/MenC vaccine – haemophilus booster and meningitis C vaccine.
MMR vaccine – guards against measles, mumps and rubella
Pneumococcal vaccine (dose two)
MenB vaccine (third dose)
TWO YEARS TO 11 YEARS
Children’s flu vaccine – given every year until children finish primary school
THREE YEARS AND 4 MONTHS
MMR vaccine (second dose)
4-in-1 pre-school booster – for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio
TWELVE YEARS OLD
HPV vaccine – to protect against cancers including cervical, mouth, throat, anal and genital areas
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD
3-in-1 teenage booster vaccine – diphtheria tetanus and polio
MenACWY vaccine – meningitis
What jabs do adults need?
FLU VACCINE: Over-65s, pregnant women and at-risk health groups
PNEUMONIA: For over-65s and at-risk groups
MMR: Get this at least a month before getting pregnant if you haven’t had it already
SHINGLES: Over-70s
COVID: Children aged six months to four years old if they are at increased risk of getting seriously ill from Covid.
Adults who are at increased risk of getting seriously ill from Covid due to a health condition or age will be contacted by the NHS this autumn for a booster.