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Childhood immunisation refers to the immunisation or vaccination of your child against vaccine-preventable diseases such as hepatitis B, diphtheria, and measles. Building immunity early in life can protect your children from serious illnesses that may be life-threatening complications or even death.
At Phoenix Medical Group, we are dedicated to your children having the best start to life, and timely vaccination ensures the health and safety of your children.
Vaccines help the body to build immunity against diseases caused by an infection. When a person is vaccinated, the vaccine particles are detected by the immune cells such as dendritic cells to induce an immune response. Surface proteins on the pathogen, called antigens, are registered by these antigen-presenting cells as harmful signals. Other immune cells such as T-cells and B-cells become activated when detecting these harmful signals. B-cells produce antibodies, which are proteins specific to the antigen that neutralise the antibodies or mark them for elimination by other immune cells [1].
In the future, if the person is infected with the same pathogen, the immune cells are able to recognise the antigen and elicit a quicker response to eliminate or neutralise the infectious agent, hence reducing the risk of a serious infection.
When designing vaccines, scientists take into consideration how the immune cells will recognise the pathogenic antigens. Common types of vaccines are [1]:
Children are more vulnerable to infectious diseases due to their underdeveloped immune system that are not as effective in protecting them from environmental exposure. Every country has a childhood immunisation programme to protect them against common vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria, and tetanus.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Singapore has set a National Childhood Immunisation Schedule for recommended vaccines for babies and children. It is a list or schedule of the vaccines your child needs as they grow. The Ministry of Health lists the recommended vaccination schedule for babies to children of age 17. It is highly recommended to adhere to the schedule closely and avoid missing vaccine doses to provide full protection.
The National Childhood Immunisation Schedule may be downloaded from the MOH website here.
Vaccination is a form of protection for your child, as well as for others who may be vulnerable and cannot get vaccinated.
Side effects of vaccination often occur due to the body’s immune response working to fight the ‘infection’. These immunological responses often manifest in inflammatory responses such as fever and pain. Common side effects of vaccination in children include [5, 6]:
Most vaccine injections tend to elicit mild reactions which typically resolve in a few days. In the case that your child’s condition is not improving or becomes worse, seek immediate medical attention.
Most babies and children are fit to receive vaccines following the immunisation schedule set by the Ministry of Health. However, there are certain situations where your child may not be suited for a vaccination, which include:
In these cases, it is advisable to consult your family doctor or paediatrician before seeking other options for immunisation.
For Singaporeans and PR, MediSave can be used to pay for your child’s vaccination. However, certain claims are only applicable to specific criteria such as the age group of your child when receiving the vaccine. Childhood vaccinations under the National Childhood Immunisation schedule, is fully subsidised for Singaporeans.
The common procedure for a vaccination appointment for your child is as follows:
Our doctors at Phoenix Medical Group will also update your child’s immunisation record in the National Immunisation Registry, which you can check online to stay updated.
We also carry other types of vaccines like influenza vaccines and Japanese Encephalitis vaccines. Schedule a consultation with our doctors to discuss your child’s needs or book a vaccination appointment to kick start your child’s immunisation journey.
<Download links from Phoenix Medical website>
Children vaccination brochure (Internal)
Children vaccination brochure (External)
It is important to adhere to the immunisation schedule. However, unforeseen circumstances are not avoidable, if the appointment is missed, contact your doctor as soon as possible to reschedule at the earliest convenience. Completing the doses for immunisation provides effective protection against infections.
No, the study from 1998, which discusses the link between MMR vaccines and autism has been retracted and discredited after numerous studies conducted found no evidence between MMR vaccines and autism risk. This is a good example of misinformation in public health. Due to the widespread misinformation, vaccination rates against MMR dropped, leading to outbreaks of measles in many parts of the world [1, 7].
In Singapore, under the Infectious Disease Act, measles and diphtheria vaccines are mandatory for a child to start primary school. These diseases are contagious and can be fatal for children whose immune systems are still developing.
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