Time to get your child immunised
Hunter New England Health is reminding parents with children who are four years of age to make sure their child has received their scheduled booster vaccines.
This is also an excellent time for children to be given protection from Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) (human swine influenza) before the next influenza season begins. The pandemic influenza vaccine is recommended for all children over the age of 6 months. The vaccine is free and is available from General Practitioners.
Hunter New England Health Public Health Physican Dr Tony Merritt said it is important for children to receive these immunisations which are a simple, safe way of protecting children against harmful infections and diseases.
“It’s important to remember that the only way your child can build immunity from these conditions is to either have a small needle or endure a bout of the full-blown infection,” Dr Merritt said.
“However exposing your child to the risk of these conditions is dangerous as childhood diseases can cause serious complications and sometimes death.”
Fortunately, immunisation has been responsible for a huge reduction in many serious childhood diseases in recent years. Cases of diphtheria, polio and tetanus and even Hib meningitis have not been seen in NSW for years.
However despite a sharp fall in cases of pertussis (whooping cough) from over 500 in 2006 to 264 in 2007, there was a large increase again in 2009, with more than 1400 cases in the Hunter New England Health Area.
"Parents should remember these diseases are easily spread from person to person, and when immunisation rates fall the diseases can return," Dr Merritt said.
“Timely boosting at 4 years of age for whooping cough will help protect the immunised child as well as helping to protect any infants in the household.
"All children should also have two doses of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine by the time they begin school, the first at one year of age and the second at four years of age,” he said.
Parents should be aware that the adverse reactions after receiving vaccinations are small and last only a short time, and that the benefits of keeping a child safe and healthy far outweighs the very small risk associated with immunisation.
Reactions are no longer common but may include pain and redness at the injection site, and occasionally the child may feel ‘off colour’, although this generally only lasts a day or two.
“If you have questions about the benefits or risks of immunisation you can find more information by going to http://www.immunise.health.gov.au,” Dr Merritt said.
Contact: Sharna McCarthy
Phone: 4921 4501