Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)

32 replies

merrily · 05/09/2006 13:14

Received a letter this morning informing me that my daughter needs to attend a clinic in a couple of weeks time to have this vaccination.

She is 17 months old - I thought that after the MMR that would be it for jabs until she started school!

Anyone know anything about this jab? Is it really necessary? My DD is big and strong (36lbs and in 3-4 yr size clothing, just to give you an idea!) Doeas she really need this extra protection??

TIA

OP posts:
flutterbee · 05/09/2006 13:15

Not overly sure what the jab is but I have seen it advertised on the telly just in the last week or so saying that all children under 2 will be invited to have it done.

I'm going to do some research to find out what it is for.

LIZS · 05/09/2006 13:17

Is this the new Meningitis one ? They are giving it to babies and a catch up one for toddlers under 2, I think. It is a horrible illness and dangerous, personally I'd go with it if I was satisfied it was effective.

2plus2plus1 · 05/09/2006 13:20

This is my understanding of it.

It is against a bacteria called pneumococcus. This bacteria causes meningitis, scepticemia, pneumonia & ear infections. The vaccination is given to protect against the first 3 conditions, the 4th is a 'bonus'. The first three are all life threatening & can have serious side effects for children that are affected.

My daughter had her first dose this morning with her 4month jabs.

HTH

TheBlonde · 05/09/2006 13:21

Here is the info from the gov: this

suzywong · 05/09/2006 13:22

I think that's what they get over here, Australia. I'm afraid I'm of the "roll up their sleeve and jab it in them if the doctor says so" school
Could be wrong though, IIRC it is something like Pneumingacoccal

belgo · 05/09/2006 13:22

I paid for my girls to have this injection, costing 400 euros! But their health is certainly worth it. I know an 18 month old girl who died from pneumococcal septicaemia, so I am well aware of the risks, and I would certaimly reccomend the vaccination.

Sandcastles · 05/09/2006 13:36

They give it routinely here in Oz. DD due to have hers friday.

villa · 05/09/2006 13:48

Blimey Belgo that's really expensive! How many jabs is it?

lazycow · 05/09/2006 14:06

Is this the same as Prevnar or is it a different one?

Original poster
merrily · 05/09/2006 15:04

thanks everyone. I'll have a read of that NHS website and do a bit more research before I decided what to do.

OP posts:
izzybiz · 05/09/2006 15:30

My SILs Dd Freya died last year age 19 months, from pneumoccocal meningitis. What makes this strain extra terrifying is that there is no rash.
For 3 days Amyjade thought that Freya had a bug.
No one picked up on what it was untill Freya started fitting.

It is really important that children get this jab, it came too late for Freya, but because of her my Dd and her cousins have all had it, as has her baby sister.

Its not a live vaccine and none of our children suffered any sde effects.

I have seen first hand what this disease can do, please dont be put off this jab because of scaremongering over other jabs.
Had Freya had this, she could have still been here.

Original poster
merrily · 05/09/2006 15:39

Thank you Izzybiz

I am very sorry to hear what happened to your niece

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 05/09/2006 15:43

I had to move mountains to get Prevenar for DD2.

izzybiz · 05/09/2006 15:46

My gp was obviously sympathetic, but when i first asked her she didnt know enough about it so asked a microbiologist at the hospital.
His answer to me was, " the risk of her getting this is small, dont worry about it"

Needless to say i ignored him and pushed for it anyway.

Will be chasing the pneumovax jab as well now Dd is 2.

expatinscotland · 05/09/2006 15:50

'His answer to me was, " the risk of her getting this is small, dont worry about it" '

How very professional of him.

Twonk.

lanismum · 05/09/2006 16:06

whenever i see the adverts for this jab i think of little freya, im hoping i get a letter for my dd to have it soon, if not ill def be chasing it up.

CarolinaMoon · 05/09/2006 16:14

there are quite a few threads in the archive about this vaccine. I know because I got the letter yesterday, no info at all with it - they obviously expect us all to JFDI , and my first port of call for more facts was of course MN.

FWIW, ds is 22mo and hasn't had the MMR, but I've booked him in for this vaccine. The only downside seems to be that it isn't always effective.

LaDiDaDi · 05/09/2006 17:38

Please take your los for this jab. It really, really, really will save children's lives and prevent many more from being disabled as a result of pneumococcal meningitis. My dd has had the first two of the three jabs with her other baby imms and she was fine.

I'm very pro-vax in general but see it very much as an individual parental choice so wouldn't normally lobby others for there los to have mmr for example but I have seen children severely affected by pneumococcal disease and feel really strongly about the benefits of this jab.

belgo · 05/09/2006 18:05

Here in Belgium I had to pay 75 euros per jab, in total my kids needed 5 jabs =375 euros. It seems so unfair that children who's parents can afford it will be protected (but I suppose there's inequality everywhere). I'm very glad that it's now provided by the NHS, imagine how you would feel if your child became ill and they hadn't had the vaccine even though it existed.

anniebear · 05/09/2006 18:27

How I wish I had been given the choice to have this new jab when my little girls was a baby as I know Izzybiz would also

My DD (just turned 5)had Phnemococcal Meningitis at 8 months old and was critically ill. She was on a life support machine and we got told if she survived she she would be severly brain damaged

She survived, with brain damage and other things

she is actually doing better than what we were told, but has special needs and is blummin hard work

Have the vaccine. A lot of work has gone into getting this vaccine available

we are (were!!) just a normal family, that these things 'just don't happen to' But sadly they do

donnie · 05/09/2006 18:32

but is this new jab prevenar? my dd2 is 16 months, why have I not received any info about it?

Flamesparrow · 05/09/2006 18:37

It is only just being introduced, as of this month, so it will take a while to filter the info and appointments through to the older children.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 05/09/2006 19:43

Donnie - yes according to the nhs immunisation website, it's Prevenar.

donnie · 06/09/2006 12:13

I would definitely get it for dd2 but at teh moment she is just about to start her single vaccination programme of measles etc so would she be able to get the prevenar as well? I doubt it.

laudaud · 06/09/2006 13:06

Izzy - I read about Freya here last week and when I heard about this immunisation thought of her and didn't even think twice about getting this jab for DD. She is 14 months and we haven't heard anything yet but I will be chasing it if I don't get letter soon. Apparently in America this immunisation has been around for a long time and research has shown that deaths from pneumoccocal meningitis have fallen.