Parenting Forums

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 10:45am | IP Logged

Has your lo had this jab? molly has got her appointment today for the new prevenar jab they are offering it to children upto two years,- i havent heard alot about this new jab so ive looked into and heres abit of info what i found,

How does it work?

Prevenar is a pneumococcal vaccine that contains extracts from seven of the most common types of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. These bacteria are responsible for causing invasive diseases such as pneumonia, blood poisoning and meningitis. The vaccine works by provoking the body's immune response to the bacteria, without causing the diseases.

When the body is exposed to foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, the immune system produces antibodies against them. Antibodies help the body recognise and kill the foreign organisms. They then remain in the body to help protect the body against future infections with the same organism. This is known as active immunity.

The immune system produces different antibodies for each foreign organism it encounters. This establishes a pool of antibodies that helps protect the body from various different diseases.

Vaccines contain extracts or inactivated forms of bacteria or viruses that cause disease. These altered forms of the organisms stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against them, but don't actually cause disease themselves. The antibodies produced remain in the body so that if the organism is encountered naturally, the immune system can recognise it and attack it, thus preventing it from causing disease.

Each bacteria or virus stimulates the immune system to produce a specific type of antibody. This means that different vaccines are needed to prevent different diseases.

Prevenar contains inactivated extracts from seven of the most common types of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against these bacteria and thus is given to prevent the diseases that they can cause.

This pneumococcal vaccine is now part of the childhood immunisation schedule. This vaccine will usually be given as three doses, at two, four and thirteen months of age. There will be a catch-up campaign for children up to two years who have already started their immunisations and your GP will contact you to arrange this.

This vaccine is also recommended for unvaccinated children under five years of age in whom pneumococcal infection may give rise to dangerous complications. These risk groups include children with chronic heart, lung, liver or kidney diseases, diabetes, those with a weakened immune system due to disease (including HIV) or treatment (eg chemotherapy, radiotherapy, high dose corticosteroids), children with a malfunctioning spleen, eg sickle cell disease, or who have had their spleens removed, and children who have had cochlear implants.

Children in these risk groups may also need a further pneumococcal booster after their second birthday. Your doctor will advise you.

The vaccination is given as an injection into the muscle of the thigh for babies under one year and the upper arm for older children.

Adults and children over five years of age who need a pneumococcal vaccine will be given a different pneumococcal vaccine called Pneumovax II.

What is it used for?

• Preventing invasive pneumococcal disease (eg pneumonia, meningitis or blood poisoning) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria in children aged two months to five years.
  
  

Warning!

• It is recommended that children who suffer from seizure disorders, eg epilepsy, or who have a history of febrile convulsions, should be given a medicine such as paracetamol (eg Calpol) or ibuprofen (eg Nurofen for children) to prevent the child getting a fever after having this vaccine. Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for further advice.
  
  

Use with caution in

• Blood clotting disorders, eg haemophilia
  
  
• Reduced platelet count in the blood (thrombocytopenia)
  
  

Not to be used in

• Known sensitivity or allergy to diphtheria toxoid
  
  
• Sudden feverish illness
  
  

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.

If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Pain, swelling, redness and hardening of the skin at the injection site
  
  
• Fever (pyrexia)
  
  
• Irritability
  
  
• Drowsiness
  
  
• Restless sleep
  
  
• Diarrhoea
  
  
• Vomiting
  
  
• Decreased appetite
  
  
• Itchy rash (urticaria) - rare
  
  
• Seizures - rare
  
  

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.

For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

This vaccine is not known to affect other medicines.

Other childhood vaccinations can be given at the same time as this vaccine, but different vaccines should be given into different injection sites.

Children who have have been immunised with this vaccine can also be given the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax II) after their second birthday, when recommended by the child's doctor. The interval between receiving a dose of this vaccine and a dose of Pneumovax II should not be less than eight weeks.

It is recommended that this vaccine is given at least two weeks before starting treatment with therapies that suppress the immune system, eg chemotherapy, radiotherapy, long-term high-dose corticosteroids, or immunosuppressants. This is because once the immune system is suppressed by these treatments, sufficient numbers of antibodies may not be produced in response to the vaccine.

The vaccine should particularly be avoided during radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment. The immune response may also still be reduced after chemotherapy or radiotherapy has finished and the vaccine should therefore not be given within three months of finishing such treatment (possibly longer if the treatment was intensive or prolonged).

Other medicines containing the same active ingredient

Pneumovax II is a pneumococcal vaccine for older children and adults.

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 10:51am | IP Logged

Hi hun, Louise is due to have this on 13th December along with her MMR. 

She will be 14 months old tomorrow! She had her booster jab last month and I hated it. 

I'm a bit wary of all these jabs, there are an awful lot!

xx

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 11:00am | IP Logged

When Sophie went for her last jab at 4 months, she was given the new set of jab's.. and we have just had a recall through the post for a booster jab.

Tbh, im confuzzed (very easy for me) to what she has/hasn't been given etc... i know the first 2 times i took her it was the old jabs, but after her 3rd ones.. im lost. Im just doing what the hv say's and take her to the docs when we get a letter through the post.

I think this is her last lot till 13 months

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 11:19am | IP Logged

svannah had her prevenar in october, and wentworth is waiting for the appointment for his.

she was fine after it, just had a bit of a temp and slept for a couple of days.

hope mollys ok hun

tilly xxx

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 12:10pm | IP Logged

I received a letter saying we would get an appointment before she turns 2 in March, but we haven't had one yet

I am sure it'll come through soon

Hope Molly gets on ok with it today

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 12:11pm | IP Logged

Ellen is due to get appointment date sometime this month.  I was at the gp yesterday and picked up all the info their too.  I am hoping this new jab will stop ellens ear from getting infected all the time.

Goodluck with it and thanx for the info xxx

Posted: 05 December 2006 at 5:39pm | IP Logged

were back - all went fine apart from a tiny scream which was soon settled by a packet of choccie buttons from the nurse, ive been told to let them no if she has anysort of reaction as they need as much feed-back as poss as this has only been going in our country since september, hopefully we have none at all but have got calpol on standby and give her a dose just incase of a temp.( no more jabs till shes 4 now (hurray). xx jue xx goodluck to all who have there appointments and the ones who are waiting!!!