The introduction of antigens (see ANTIGEN) into a body to produce IMMUNITY. The following table gives the immunisation programme recommended by the UK departments of health.
Age due | Diseases protected against |
|---|---|
Eight weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whopping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) Meningococcal group B (MenB) Rotavirus gastroenteritis |
Twelve weeks | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib Meningococcal group C (MenC) Rotavirus |
Sixteen weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib MenB Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) |
One year old | Hib and MenC Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) MenB |
Two to six years old (including children in school years 1 and 2) | Influenza (each year from September) |
Three years four months old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio Measles, mumps and rubella |
Girls aged 12 to 13 years | Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 (and genital warts caused by types 6 and 11) |
Fourteen years old (school year 9) | Tetanus, diphtheria and polioMeningococcal groups A, C, W and Y disease |
65 years old | Pneumococcal (23 serotypes) |
65 years of age and older | Influenza (each year from September) |
70 years old | Shingles |
Additional vaccines are recommended in certain circumstances, for example three doses and a booster of hepatitis B vaccine from birth to hepatitis B infected mothers; BCG VACCINE to infants in areas of the country with a high incidence of tuberculosis or whose parent or grandparent was born in a high incidence country; pertussis and influenza vaccines for pregnant women. There are also a number of diseases which affect immunity or put persons at high risk of certain infections, for which vaccine protection is available. This includes the vaccines available for bacterial sepsis for patients without a functioning spleen; pneumococcal vaccine for those with chronic chest, heart diabetes or neurological disease to reduce the risk of pneumonia; hepatitis vaccine for people with chronic liver disease or &Haemophilia.
Immunisation schedules differ from country to country: in the US, for example, hepatitis B vaccine is given to all babies rather than just to those whose mothers are infected and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine is recommended at age 1 and a booster at 4 with Gardasil® being offered to boys as well as girls.