Currently the DTP/Hib immunisation is given by injection in three doses: at 2, 3 and 4 months old. The government has announced plans for the polio vaccine to be given with the DTP/Hib jab making it a 5-in-1 jab to be given as before in threee stages at 2, 3 and 4 months old. The new vaccination will be phased in from October 2004. (read news story)

This is now a very rare disease in the UK but is very serious. It begins with a simple sore throat, but quickly develops into a dangerous illness which can last for weeks. It blocks the nose or throat, causing babies to choke and making their breathing difficult.

Tetanus is caused by germs from soil or dirt getting into an open wound or burn. It attacks the nervous system, causing painful muscle spasms which can affect the chest muscles and breathing. It can be fatal. Thanks to immunisation, it’s now quite rare, but without immunisation there is still a real chance of getting it. It is important for adults to keep their tetanus vaccinations up to date. Check with your doctor when you last had a tetanus vaccination.

Whooping cough is a very infectious disease and can cause long, distressing bouts of coughing, choking and vomiting. The bouts exhaust and frighten the child, and can happen up to 50 times a day. The illness itself usually lasts about 3 to 4 weeks. The coughing may go on for much longer. Occasionally there are complications, such as pneumonia. It is especially dangerous for babies, and could be fatal.

Side effects after the DTP injection are common but are almost always mild:

•   Your baby may become fretful and slightly feverish within 24 hours of the injection
•   About one child in every 10,000 may have a febrile convulsion after DTP immunisation

Contact the doctor or health visitor if you are worried about your baby.

The whooping cough part of the triple vaccine is the one which some parents worry about. There have been questions about the vaccine’s safety and the possibility of brain damage.

A major British study (the largest in the world) and studies in the United States, have looked at the safety of whooping cough vaccine. The results failed to find a convincing link between the vaccine and permanent brain damage.

•   What is immunisation?
•   When vaccines are given
•   Should I have my child vaccinated?
•   Contraindications
•   Protection levels
•   Homeopathy
•   Natural immunity
•   Hib: the Hib form of meningitis
•   Polio
•   MMR
•   BCG
•   Hepatitis B
•   Finding out more