IMMUNISATIONS FRAN CHATHAM Practice Nurse RGN BSc (hons)

The Importance of Immunisation The two public health interventions with the greatest impact are clean water and vaccination Vaccination is the most effective medical intervention in the world (World Health Organisation)

UK childhood vaccination programme:

Why does the vaccine schedule start at 2m of age? Why MMR at 13m? Vaccines need to be given as early in life as possible so children are protected when at highest risk of complications from the diseases Although infants passively acquire some maternal antibodies across the placenta which provide protection in the first few weeks of life, this antibody transfer and persistence is more effective for some infections than for others If maternal abs still present, these would neutralise the vaccine viruses and child would not make long lasting protection This is why pertussis vaccine is given from 2m of age whereas MMR is not usually given until a year of age when maternal measles antibodies have waned

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