Extra Infant Vaccines from Sept

All children under 2 will be offered vaccines against pneumococcal meningitis and hepatitis B from September next as part of the expanded National Childhood Immunisation Programme.

The new vaccines will be given to children at 2 months, 4 months and 12 months. A catch-up campaign will call all children under 2 years for the vaccine.

Whilst the 2 meningitis vaccines in Ireland’s childhood immunisation schedule provide excellent protection, there is no vaccine to protect against the most common type - MenB. As part of European Immunisation Awareness Week the Meningitis Research Foundation is urging parents to be vigilant for signs of meningitis even when their child’s vaccines are up to date. Being aware of the symptoms and getting medical help quickly can save lives.

Christopher Head, Chief Executive of Meningitis Research Foundation said: “In the UK and Ireland immunisation has been so successful that cases of vaccine-preventable disease have become very uncommon. But when people no longer see these diseases as a threat to their children, they can become complacent. It is crucial that families continue to protect their children through immunisation, or these diseases will come back.”

In Ireland, babies in their first year of life are given protection against 9 potentially life-threatening diseases including 3 kinds of meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning). However, every year about 2.5 million children worldwide still die from vaccine preventable diseases, according to the Meningitis Research Foundation.

The World Health Organisation’s European Immunisation Awareness Week runs from 21-27 April.

Posted Monday 21st April 2008