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Immunisation - questions and answers
Rosanna Raven, the immunisation specialist nurse for Brighton and Hove, answers your questions.
How does immunisation work?
From birth we are exposed to infectious agents in the environment; the body’s response to this helps the immune system to develop.
- Immunisation (also called vaccination) works by prompting the body to produce antibodies which prepare the immune system to fight off specific diseases.
- Vaccines contain a small part of the bacterium or virus that causes a disease, or tiny amounts of the chemicals the bacterium produces.
- Antibodies made by your body in response to the vaccine will recognise and work to fight off this disease should you come into contact with it in the future.
Why are babies vaccinated so early?
Some diseases, such as whooping cough, can be particularly serious in young babies so it’s vital to provide protection as early as possible.
Why do we immunise against diseases that seem to be disappearing?
- Many diseases are kept at bay in the UK because of high immunisation rates.
- If immunisation rates drop, these diseases can flare up again – as recent outbreaks of measles and mumps in Brighton and Hove have shown.
By immunising your child you are not only protecting them, you are protecting the whole community, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated and those children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Are vaccines safe?
- All vaccines available through the NHS have been thoroughly tested for safety and, though all medicines can cause side effects, vaccines are among the safest medicines in the world.
- Temporary side effects following vaccination can include redness at the injection site and the child feeling slightly unwell or having a temperature.
Is there a link between the MMR vaccine and autism?
Stories about a link between the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) immunisation and autism have worried many parents, but independent experts across the world have found no credible scientific evidence of a link between the two.
- Children who catch measles, mumps or rubella can have serious, potentially fatal complications
- MMR is the safest way to protect your child against these illnesses.
Are there children who should not have immunisations?
Immunisation is safe for the vast majority of babies and young children. Very few children cannot be immunised.
Those who can’t receive certain vaccines include
- children whose immune system doesn’t work properly because they have a serious condition
- others who have had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine ingredient.
Talk to your GP, practice nurse or health visitor for more information, or visit www.dh.gov.uk/immunisation