View LCP Procedures View LCP Procedures

5.3.4 Immunisations

This chapter was updated in February 2012.


Contents

  1. Why is Immunisation for Looked After Children Important?
  2. What Vaccinations are Required?
  3. Useful Contacts and Advice


1. Why is Immunisation for Looked After Children Important?

Immunisation is one of the most important health things that we can do for children and young people. It is the most effective ways of protecting them against infectious diseases. Immunisations should be given at the recommended age to protect them as soon as possible. If there is no recorded evidence of past immunisations (the dates and batch numbers should be recorded and seen by a professional to judge if the child is immunised or not) it is recommended by the Department of Health that the full programme is completed.

All medicines have side effects, but vaccines are among the safest, the benefits of vaccinations far out weight the risk of side effects.

Vaccination take up for looked After Children and Young People is often lower than their peers and below the recommended level.

As corporate parents we have a duty to improve the life chances of all Looked After Children and Young People; this includes ensuring that they are fully immunised for their age.


2. What Vaccinations are Required?

Apart from the UK routine immunisation programme some children and young people are at “special risk” and will require additional vaccinations such as:

  • Varicella - protects against chicken Pox;
  • BCG - (Bacillus Clamette-Guerrin) protects against tuberculosis (TB);
  • Flu - protects against seasonal flu;
  • Hepatitis B - protects against Hepatitis B.

Routine UK Immunisation Schedule (2011) Vaccination Checklist

Here's a checklist of the vaccines that are routinely offered to everyone in the UK for free on the NHS, and the age at which you should ideally have them.

The children in Care nursing team can help you identify if a child is fully immunised. To catch up with missed immunisations the child needs to visit their general Practitioner.

Age Immunisations
2 months:
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children) given as a 5-in-1 single jab known as DTaP/IPV/Hib;
  • Pneumococcal infection. 
3 months:
  • 5-in-1, second dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib);
  • Meningitis C.
4 months:
  • 5-in-1, third dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib);
  • Pneumococcal infection, second dose;
  • Meningitis C, second dose.
Between 12 and 13 months:
  • Meningitis C, third dose;
  • Hib, fourth dose (Hib/MenC given as a single jab);
  • MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), given as a single jab;
  • Pneumococcal infection, third dose.
3 years and 4 months or soon after:
  • MMR second jab;
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (DtaP/IPV), given as a 4-in-1 pre-school booster.
Around 12-13 years:
  • Cervical cancer (HPV) vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer (girls only): three jabs given within six months.
Around 13-18 years:
  • Diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster (Td/IPV), given as a single jab.

Ref: NHS Choices.


3. Useful Contacts and Advice

End