In the ‘prick' of health

Vaccination is crucial for all babies. Make sure you don’t skip any

- POORNIMA NAIR

WHY IS IMMUNISATION IMPORTANT?

A child is born with poor immunity as compared to an adult, and is prone to a whole lot of diseases, caused by bacteria and viruses. Immunisation assures that your child gets protection and is prevented from suffering the disease and its complications.

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD MY CHILD BE IMMUNISED?

Immunisation usually starts almost as soon as the child is born. He should be given the BCG, oral polio and Hepatitis B vaccination soon after birth.

WHICH ARE THE ROUTINE VACCINES THAT ARE GIVEN TO BABIES?

The routine vaccines given to babies are BCG, Polio, Triple or the Diptheria, Pertussis and Tetanus vaccine (DTP), Hepatitis B, H Influenzae Bacterium vaccine (HIB), Measles vaccine, MMR vaccine, Chicken Pox vaccine, Boosters of polio and DTP, Typhoid, and Hepatitis A vaccine.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT STAGES WHEN FOLLOW-UPS NEED TO BE DONE?

After your child is immunised immediately after birth with the BCG, Oral Polio and Hepatitis B vaccination, he needs to come for the next vaccination at the age of six to eight weeks. From then on, practically every month, the child needs to be given some vaccination or the other till the age of six months. This is followed by the nine months vaccine. After one year, there are three or four vaccines every year, going on till the age of 16 years.