American paediatrician wants to know something about UK vaccinations

[expatkat]

He asked me to find out if the vaccinations given here at 2 months, 3 months and 4 months REALLY contain diphtheria AND tetanus AND Whooping Cough AND hib AND polio AND meningitis C. All in one go.

I said I thought 1 jab contained the first 4, and then an oral dose contained polio. I couldn't remember about meningitis.

He thinks it's GREAT. He said he wishes they'd implement something like that States-side, but mothers there are too concerned about having all those jabs in 1 go, so they just keeping going back to the paediatrician, again and again and again for one or two jabs at a time.

He also wishes they'd do menigitis C in the US.

He's a gifted doctor and I have a lot of respect for him. Would love to be able to answer his question properly. Can anyone please remind me how those early vaccines are administered exactly?

it's all just in the process of changing -

up to a few months ago the standard system was

DTP (diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough jab)
Meningitis Jab (think that is same as hib?)
Polio drop (live vaccine)

the significance of it being live is that there is a minimal risk of an unimmunized person contracting polio from a vaccinated baby if care isn't taken when changing nappies (the virus is excreted in the babies' poo for a certain amount of time after the jab).

all done at same appoint at 2, 3 and 4 months

due to mercury in the DTP, they have changed the system to

a 5 in 1 jab (DTP, Meningitis and Polio [inactive])

at 2, 3 and 4 months.

2months -
diphtheria/tetanus/whoopingcough/hib polio.

3months
diptheria/tetanus/whoopingcough/hib
polio & meningitis c

4months
diptheria/tetanus/whoopingcough/hib
polio & mengitis c

5months
diptheria/tetanus/whoopingcough/hib
polio

12-18months - MMR

THE 5 MONTH ONE WAS TAKEN EXTRA DUE TO A CHANGE IN GUIDLINES.

INFO TAKEN FROM THE MY DAUGHTERS HEALTH RECORD

HTH

they aren't doing the 4th hib booster any more though .. it was a short-term thing supposedly

am surprised it's not done in the States - has been in canada for at least the past 6 years

I felt very sorry for my American born DD when she had her jabs - 3 plasters on each tiny leg.

DPT seems fairly compatible to here. Polio is injected.

I thought in America it was at a slightly older age too as the 3rd lot is at 6 months (not 4 like here)..... This info from my cousin GP in the US.