What Are The Vaccines Given To Newborns

Where Can My Child Get Vaccinated

Your child can get vaccinated at your local health unit. Health units are also called public health units, community health centres, or primary care homes in some areas of BC. Some family doctors and nurse practitioners also give vaccines. Pharmacists can vaccinate children who are five years of age and older. Services vary across BC.

Its best to book your childs appointment well in advance as clinics book up quickly. This helps to ensure your child is vaccinated on time.

Tetanus Toxoid Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid And Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed

• Brand Names: Adacel and Boostrix
• What it’s for: Booster shot for kids at 10 or 11 years of age to prevent the bacterial infections diphtheria, tetanus , and pertussis . In addition, Boostrix is approved for all individuals 10 years of age and older, . Adacel is approved for use in people ages 10 through 64 years.
• Common side effects may include: Pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, headache, and tiredness.
• Tell your healthcare provider beforehand if: The child is moderately or severely ill, has had swelling of the brain within 7 days after a previous dose of pertussis vaccine, or any allergic reaction to any vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus or pertussis diseases.

Haemophilus B Conjugate Vaccine

• Brand Names: ActHIB, Hiberix, PedvaxHIB
• What it’s for: Prevents Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive disease. Before the availability of Hib vaccines, Hib disease was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among children under 5 years of age in the United States. Meningitis is an infection of the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to lasting brain damage and deafness. Hib disease can also cause pneumonia, severe swelling in the throat, infections of the blood, joints, bones, and tissue covering of the heart, as well as death. Both ActHIB and PedvaxHIB are approved for infants and children beginning at 2 months. ActHIB can be given through 5 years of age and PedvaxHIB can be given through 71 months of age Hiberix is approved for children 6 weeks through the age of 4 .
• Common side effects may include: Fussiness, sleepiness, and soreness, swelling and redness at the injection site.
• Tell your healthcare provider beforehand if: The child is moderately or severely ill, or has ever had an allergic reaction to a previous dose of Hib vaccine.

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Why We Need Vaccines

Vaccines have successfully lowered the rates of disease in countries with strong vaccination programs.

Some of the diseases that vaccines prevent have no treatment or cure. These diseases can cause:

• severe illness
• disability
• death

Even with improved living conditions and modern hygiene, vaccines are still very important to prevent infections that could make your child very sick.

Some diseases are now rarely seen in Canada because of long-term high rates of vaccination in the population, including:

• diphtheria

However, these diseases still exist in some countries, so people who live in them or travel to them may become infected. They can introduce and spread these diseases when they return to Canada. High rates of vaccination against these diseases help to prevent further spread and outbreaks.

The best way to protect your children’s health is to prevent these diseases in the first place by keeping their vaccinations up to date. Some examples include:

Measles

Measles is still a leading cause of death in children worldwide, with 89,780 cases in 2016. One person with measles can infect 12 to 18 people who haven’t had the vaccine.

Measles is a very contagious disease. You can catch it by walking into a room that an infected person sneezed in an hour before you entered.

What Are The Risks Of Not Vaccinating Or Not Vaccinating On Time

The diseases prevented by infant and childhood vaccines are serious and even deadly. Measles can spread to the brain, cause brain damage and death. Mumps can cause permanent deafness. Polio can cause paralysis. Sadly, these diseases have not disappeared. There is no treatment and no cure for diseases like measles, polio and tetanus. The only way to protect your child is through vaccination.

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When Shouldnt My Child Be Vaccinated

In a few cases, it’s better to wait to get a vaccine. Some children who are very sick shouldnt get a vaccine at all. Reasons your child should wait or not get a vaccine may include:

• Being sick with something more serious than a cold.
• Having a bad reaction after the first dose of a vaccine.
• Having sudden jerky body movements , possibly caused by a vaccine.

Children In Licensed Daycare Centres

If you want your child to attend daycare, and decide not to vaccinate them due to medical, religious or philosophical reasons, you will need to give your daycare a valid written exemption. If the disease appears in your childs daycare centre, your child may have to stay out of daycare until the disease is no longer present.

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Which Vaccines Do I Need After My Baby Is Born

After your baby is born, you may need to get vaccines to protect against:

• Whooping cough: If you didnt get the whooping cough vaccine when you were pregnant, youll need to get vaccinated right after delivery. Other people who spend time with the baby may also need to get the whooping cough vaccine.
• Measles, mumps, and rubella, and chickenpox: If youre not already protected from measles, mumps, rubella, or chickenpox, youll need to get vaccinated before you leave the hospital.

All routinely recommended vaccines are safe for breastfeeding women.

Learn more about vaccines your baby needs early in life .

Benefits Of The Hepatitis B Vaccine

The main benefit of the vaccine is its effectiveness. The AAP says that if a baby receives the first dose within 24 hours of delivery, the vaccine is 7595% effective in preventing hepatitis B transmission from parent to infant.

Additionally, if the newborn also receives the medication HBIG at the correct time with a series of follow-up vaccines, the AAP estimates that the infection rate drops to 0.71.1%.

Therefore, a baby needs to complete the full series of hepatitis B vaccines for the best possible protection.

Research indicates that hepatitis B vaccines are a safe and effective way to prevent hepatitis B infections.

According to the CDC , the vaccine is very safe, and the full series of the vaccine provides the highest possible level of protection from a hepatitis B infection.

Vaccines are subject to constant safety monitoring both during production and once doctors begin to administer them to people. Any signs of a potentially dangerous response to a vaccine would result in immediate recall, meaning they are generally very safe.

While many people misunderstand or misstate the dangers of some aspects of vaccination, there are still possibly severe conditions that doctors may associate with hepatitis B immunizations.

A discusses these possible rare complications. However, it is important to note that these results do not mean that the vaccination causes these conditions instead, there may be an association between them.

Possible conditions include:

• hives

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Why Its Important To Follow The Immunization Schedule

Itâs crucial that your child is protected from the diseases that vaccines help fight at the appropriate times. Sticking to the recommended immunization schedule is important to ensure your little one becomes or remains protected. Skipping or putting off vaccinations until later can leave your child vulnerable to dangerous diseases that a vaccine could easily have protected her against. Some of these diseases can make your little one very sick, and may require hospitalization in some cases the diseases may even result in death. Not vaccinating your child can also contribute to the spread of disease in your area.

Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis For Older Children And Adults

When it’s given: At 11-12 years, and every ten years after that

What it protects from: Tdap is a weaker version of DTaP, given to older children and adults. This vaccine boosts the immune system so it will keep forming antibodies. The pertussis vaccine is highly recommended for pregnant women during each pregnancy at 27-36 weeks gestation so protective antibodies will pass to the infant at birth. Pertussis is particularly deadly to babies under six months.

Read more about the Tdap Vaccine

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Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme

Current immunisations are extremely safe but, very rarely, an individual may suffer from a problem after vaccination. The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is designed to ease the present and future burdens of the person who, on that very rare occasion, may be affected by the vaccination. There are several conditions that need to be met before a payment can be made.

If you need more information, please contact:

Vaccine Damage Payments Unit

Vaccines You Need During Pregnancy

Vaccinations during pregnancy protect both you and your developing baby from serious infections. They also help protect infants after birth, when they’re too young to be vaccinated.

If you’re pregnant, you should be vaccinated against whooping cough and flu. Talk to your health care provider or local public health authority about making sure your vaccines are up to date.

You should get the following vaccinations during pregnancy. They’re safe and help protect you and your baby.

During flu season, anyone who’s pregnant or planning to become pregnant should get the flu shot. The flu is more likely to cause severe illness during pregnancy because your body goes through many changes. These changes can:

• affect the immune system, heart and lungs
• make it harder for your body to fight off infections

Receiving the flu vaccine during pregnancy extends protection to your baby. This is important because babies younger than 6 months can’t get vaccinated against the flu. Your flu shot helps protect your baby from the flu after birth.

Vaccination with a non-live flu vaccine lowers the risk of complications from the flu during pregnancy and after your baby is born. However, live flu vaccines shouldn’t be given during pregnancy.

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Changes To The Immunisation Programme

Immunisation programmes are regularly reviewed to make sure that all children are offered the best protection against preventable diseases. As new vaccines become available, or research shows that giving existing vaccines at different times improves protection, the programme will be changed.

Recent changes to the UK programme have been:

• giving hepatitis B vaccine at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks of age
• giving rotavirus vaccine at 8 weeks and 12 weeks of age
• giving MenB vaccine to babies at 8 weeks,16 weeks and 1 year of age
• giving flu vaccine to all eligible primary school aged children
• giving meningococcal A, C, W and Y vaccine to young people around 14 years old
• giving human papillomavirus vaccine to boys as well as girls from September 2019
• giving a single priming dose of pneumococcal vaccine at 12 weeks of age instead of 2 doses at 8 and 16 weeks

Bc’s Routine Vaccine Schedule For Infants And Young Children

2 months

At 2 months of age, your child should receive the following vaccines:

At 4 months of age, your child should receive the following vaccines:

At 6 months of age, your child should receive the following vaccines:

At 18 months of age, your child should receive the following vaccines:

Starting at 4 years

Starting at 4 years of age, your child should receive the following vaccines:

Annual influenza vaccination for children 6 months and older

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Measles Mumps And Rubella Vaccine

• Brand Name: M-M-R II
• What it’s for: Prevents measles, mumps, and rubella in those 12 months of age and older. Measles is a respiratory disease that causes a skin rash all over the body, and fever, cough and runny nose. Measles can be severe, causing ear infections, pneumonia, seizures, and swelling of the brain. Mumps causes fever, headache, loss of appetite and the well-known sign of swollen cheeks and jaw which is from the swelling of the salivary glands. Rare complications include deafness, meningitis , and painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries. Rubella, also called German Measles, causes fever, a rash, and–mainly in women–can also cause arthritis. Rubella infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects.
• Common side effects may include: Fever, mild rash, fainting, headache, dizziness, irritability and burning/stinging, redness, swelling, and tenderness at the injection site.
• Tell your healthcare provider beforehand if: The child is ill and has a fever or has ever had an allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or a previous dose of the vaccine, has immune system problems, or cancer, or problems with the blood or lymph system.

Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Test

Some Ob/Gyn practices recommend routine testing at 32 weeks for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Texas is among the states with the highest rate of these sexually transmitted diseases. You may not even know you have these diseases because they dont always present with symptoms. However, the diseases can be passed to the baby during delivery and can cause an infection called ophthalmia neonatorum that may lead to blindness.

If you have been in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship, you may feel comfortable declining this test. There is a chance the test will return a false-positive result, meaning it may show you have one of these diseases when you actually dont. Remember this before you panic that your partner is cheating on you.

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How Vaccines Are Given

Most vaccines are given by needle in the upper arm or thigh. Some vaccines, like the rotavirus vaccine, are given by mouth. There’s also a flu vaccine for children that’s sprayed into the nose.

Some vaccines are given separately. Others, like the MMR vaccine, protect against 3 diseases in one vaccine.

Your child’s immune system can learn from more than 1 vaccine at a time. For instance, babies can respond to 10,000 different antigens at any one time.

What Is The Hepatitis B Vaccine

Immunizations start at birth. The first immunization given is the hepatitis B vaccine. Listed below are some facts about hepatitis B:

• Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by hepatitis B virus .

• Potentially, there may not be any symptoms present when first infected the likelihood of early symptoms decreases with the person’s age. If present, yellow skin or eyes, tiredness, stomachache, loss of appetite, nausea, or joint pain may occur.

• The younger the person is when infected with HBV, the greater the likelihood of staying infected and having life-long liver problems, such as scarring of the liver and liver cancer.

• The disease can be spread from an infected pregnant mother to her baby, through contact with the blood of an infected person, or by having sex with an infected person. It can also be spread by sharing objects, such as toothbrushes or razors.

The HBV vaccine will prevent this disease. This vaccine is given to nearly all newborns. Additional doses are given before age 18 months. If newborns are exposed to HBV before, during, or after birth, both the vaccine and a special HBV immune globulin dose are given within 12 hours of birth. The CDC recommends that all babies complete the HBV vaccine series between age 6 months and 18 months to be fully protected against HBV infection. This full series gives long-term protection against HBV and booster shots are typically not needed in people who have a healthy immune system.

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What Are The Risks Of Not Getting The Vaccine

The main risk of the baby not getting the vaccine is that they may contract the hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis B primarily attacks the liver, causing inflammation that can damage this organ over time. An acute infection lasts for less than 6 months and may cause no symptoms in some people.

Many acute infections resolve without treatment. If the infection persists for 6 months or more, doctors will refer to it as chronic. Chronic infections increase a persons risk of damage to the liver over time.

As this damage builds up, it can scar the liver, which is known as cirrhosis. This long-term damage may result in other complications, including liver cancer.

According to the WHO, about

How To Prepare Your Child For A Vaccination

If your little one is old enough to understand whatâs going on, try describing the immunization appointment and whatâs about to happen. Offer assurance that even though the shot may hurt a little, the pain wonât last. Also, consider bringing along your childâs favorite toy or even a security blanket. This may help comfort her.During the appointment, you may be able to hold your child in your lap, which can offer additional comfort. Also, consider trying to distract him with a toy, a story, or pointing out things in the room. For a very young child, you might consider breastfeeding or bottle-feeding afterward. Even swaddling may help comfort her especially if sheâs crying after the shot.You may consider asking the doctor or the nurse who administers the shot if there are any steps you could take to help your child feel more comfortable. You may be told to have your child move his arm around after the vaccination, which can help reduce any pain or swelling.

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A Guide To Immunisations For Babies Born On Or After 1 January 2020

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: .

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-guide-to-immunisations-for-babies-up-to-13-months-of-age/a-guide-to-immunisations-for-babies-born-on-or-after-1-january-2020