Immunisation

Childhood diseases can have very serious effects upon your baby. That’s why your newborn baby needs all the care and protection that you can give. You can start by immunising your baby against dangerous childhood diseases. When your baby is immunised against a disease, her body will produce antibodies to fight against that disease. Some vaccines , eg. the Hepatitis B vaccine, give rise to lifelong immunity upon completion of the full course. Other vaccines have to be given again later in life to maintain your child’s immunity to the disease (e.g. diphtheria and tetanus).  This additional dose is called a booster.

Based on the Singapore’s National Childhood Immunisation Programme (NCIP) schedule, all children should have completed the following immunisations before entry into Primary One:

Bcg 

Against: Tuberculosis
Dosage: One dose 
Schedule: Usually given at birth

Dpt/dt 

Against: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
Dosage: 3 doses
Schedule: Usually given at 3, 4 & 5 months + 1 booster dose (usually given at 18 months)

Oral Sabin

Against: poliomyelitis
Dosage: 3 doses
Schedule: Usually given at 3, 4 & 5 months + 1 booster dose (usually given at 18 months)

MMR

Against: Measles, mumps & rubella
Dosage: One dose 
Schedule: Usually given at 1 to 2 years

Hepatitis B

Against: Hepatitis B
Dosage: 3 doses 
Schedule: Usually given at birth, 1 & 5 to 6 months

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine(PCV)

Against: Pneumococcal Disease
Dosage: One dose 
Schedule: Usually given at at 3 & 5 months + 1 booster dose (usually given at 1 to 2 years)

Under the Infectious Diseases Act, vaccination against measles and diphtheria are mandatory by law. The above preschool immunisations are provided at the polyclinics and general practitioners’ clinics.  If your child has missed any of the immunisations, you should take your child to the polyclinic or your own doctor for the missed immunisations as soon as possible. The School Health Service of the Health Promotion Board provides the booster immunisations against diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps and rubella for school children as follows :

1. DT–containing vaccines
    2nd booster (at 10-11 years)
2. Oral Sabin
    2nd booster (at 6-7 years)
    3rd booster (at 10-11 years)
3. MMR
    1st booster (at 6-7 years)

The School Health Service teams administer the immunisation to school children during the annual visits to the primary and secondary schools. This is to provide school-based health screening and immunisation services to children.

Before  the school visit, the School Health Service’s health teams will request for the health booklets and immunisation certificates and records from parents through the school teachers. In addition, the School Health Service would need parents to complete the consent form for the immunisations and provide relevant medical information before the team’s visit.   It is important for parents to submit the records and information and completed consent forms promptly so that the School Health Service’s teams can assess your child and administer the immunisations in school.  

School children who miss their immunisations during the School Health Service will be referred to the Student Health Centre for their immunisations.  Parents can also take their child to their regular doctor for the missed immunisations. 

This article is contributed by Health Promotion Board. For more information on immunisation, visit National Immunisation Registry website at www.nir.hpb.gov.sg.