|
Background:
The Hib vaccine was first introduced into the Childhood Immunisation Programme in 1992 for infants at 2, 3 and 4 months, along with a catch-up programme. As a result, rates of Hib disease fell dramatically. In 2003, another catch-up campaign offered booster doses to all children who were aged 6 months to 4 years at the time. That campaign successfully helped to reduce the small but steady increase in cases of Hib in young children that had occurred since 1999. However, rates of Hib disease in children in the UK have not yet returned to the very low levels seen in the 1990s.
A booster dose, as a combined Hib/MenC vaccine, was introduced into the Childhood Immunisation Programme in Sept 2006 for all children at 12 months. This booster extends protection against Hib infection through childhood and is expected to further lower rates of Hib disease.
Children born between 13 March 2003 and 3 September 2005 will not have been offered this booster dose. They were too young to have had it as part of the 2003 catch-up campaign and too old to have received the new Hib/MenC booster at 12 months.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the expert body which advises the Government on the national vaccination programme, recommends that this group of children receive the Hib booster in line with the protection already offered to older and younger children.
To minimise disruption the Hib booster is now being offered for the majority of children in the target group as part of the pre-school immunisation. A small number of children in the target group who have already had their pre-school immunisation will be called back for a special appointment where they will be offered a Hib-containing vaccine, Hib/MenC. |
|
The campaign:
The HPA was commissioned by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) to produce resource materials both for parents and for health professionals. An information leaflet, Hib – Does your child need a booster immunisation? was produced for parents of at-risk children. This will be sent directly to the parents of children who are eligible when they are being invited to come for the vaccine. There will also be a number on display at GP surgeries and pharmacies. A factsheet, Q&A for Hib booster campaign 2007 to 2009 was also produced to raise awareness of the dangers and symptoms of Hib among health professionals.
These resources were distributed as a pack to GPs and other health professionals throughout Northern Ireland.
PDF files of the leaflets in English and of translations into Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese are also available from the DHSSPS website at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/phealth
|
