TIME TO GET YOUR CHILD IMMUNISED
Wednesday 19 January 2011
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.
Hunter New England Health Public Health Physician Dr David Durrheim 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 Durrheim said.
“However, exposing your child to the risk of these conditions is dangerous because 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 children for many years.
However, every year returning travellers reintroduce measles into Australia. As measles is very infectious it can spread rapidly amongst children that are not immunised. Fortunately measles vaccine is very effective and so children can be easily protected against this disease.
"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,” Dr Durrheim said.
Despite a large decrease in pertussis (whooping cough) cases in 2010 (750) in comparison to 2009 (1468), the number of cases is still much higher than in previous recent years with 554 cases in 2008 and 262 cases in 2007.
"Parents should know pertussis is easily spread from person to person, and if immunisation rates fall the disease can return," Dr Durrheim said.
“Timely boosting at four years of age for whooping cough will help protect the immunised child as well as helping to protect any infants in the household.”
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 Durrheim said.
Contact: Sharna McCarthy
Phone: 4921 4501