Baby Vaccinations: Part 2 The 6, 10 and 14 Week Vaccines
In this second article on baby vaccinations at 6, 10 and 14 weeks, I’d like to discuss the vaccines routinely recommended in South Africa at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age.
South Africa follows the World Health Organization’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which begins vaccinations relatively early in life. Some countries, such as Italy, start parts of their routine schedule a little later, while others begin at around 8 weeks. Our earlier schedule reflects the reality that many South African children are exposed to infectious diseases at a younger age because of differing social and living circumstances.
The 6 Week Vaccination Visit
The first major vaccination visit is understandably a busy one.
Polio
Your baby receives an injectable inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). As I mentioned previously, the oral polio vaccine is well established, but because IPV contains killed virus and polio has become extremely uncommon in many parts of the world, some parents ask whether it remains essential.
Rotavirus
Babies also receive Rotarix, which protects against rotavirus, a common cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants.
The vaccine is highly effective. However, it can occasionally upset little tummies. In my own practice, particularly for first babies or exclusively breastfed babies, I sometimes discuss delaying this vaccine until the next vaccination visit at around 10 to 12 weeks, provided it remains within the recommended age limits.
The 6-in-1 Vaccine
Many parents are surprised that so much protection is provided in a single injection.
This vaccine protects against:
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Hepatitis B
- Polio (IPV)
The Hib vaccine has been particularly successful. Before vaccination became routine, Hib was a major cause of severe infections such as epiglottitis. Today, thankfully, we rarely encounter this condition.
The hepatitis B vaccine has also dramatically reduced hepatitis B infection in vaccinated children, although the disease remains an important global health problem.
Pneumococcal Vaccine
The 6-in-1 vaccine is given together with a pneumococcal vaccine.
Until recently, South Africa routinely used the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar 13), which protects against 13 important strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. These bacteria can cause meningitis, pneumonia and bloodstream infections, particularly in young children.
The national programme has now changed to a 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine. This change was made partly to allow the introduction of the combined measles-rubella (MR) vaccine into the childhood immunisation programme at 6 months of age, which I’ll discuss in the next article.
How Well Are These Vaccines Tolerated?
Overall, these vaccines are very well tolerated. Serious allergic reactions are extremely uncommon.
Modern combination vaccines are the product of many years of careful research. By combining several vaccines into one injection, children receive protection against multiple diseases without increasing the number of injections, while maintaining excellent immune responses.
A Few Practical Tips
- Ensure your child is well on the day of vaccination.
- Do not routinely give paracetamol (Panado) or other anti-inflammatory medication before vaccination.
- Have paracetamol available afterwards should your baby develop a fever or seem uncomfortable. In South Africa, this may be given as an oral preparation or, when appropriate, as a suppository.
Current evidence suggests that giving paracetamol before vaccination may slightly reduce the immune response to some vaccines, while routine pre-treatment is unnecessary because these modern vaccines are generally well tolerated.
Looking Ahead
Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways of protecting children from serious infectious diseases. Understanding baby vaccinations at 6, 10 and 14 weeks and what each vaccine does can make the schedule seem much less daunting.
I hope you’re all having a good week, and in the next article we’ll discuss the vaccines given later in infancy, including the introduction of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine.
