Immunising Your Baby

What is immunisation?

Active immunisation is the use of vaccines to protect against particular disease that caused by virus or bacteria.

What are vaccines?

Vaccines contain weakened, dead or (usually) fragmented viruses and/or bacteria that are responsible for some serious diseases. The body sees that fragments as foreign and develops an immune response (immunity) against them, without exposing the child to the disease.

How does immunity work?

When a virus or bacteria enters the body, our immune system develops an immune response, which includes antibodies specifically against the virus or bacteria, to fight it. The first time an organism enters the body, the immune system is not ready and it takes some time to make antibodies. During this time we may become ill. However, if our immune system, including the antibodies, can control the organism we will recover.

After the infection, the immune system retains a memory of the infecting organism that attacked us, and if it enters to our body again, it is usually controlled before we become ill. Active immunisation using vaccine works in the same way – but without us having to have the disease first. 

Is immunisation safe?

Vaccine must go through many tests before they can be used. The vaccines used have been proven to have excellent safety profiles and to be highly effective. Studies have shown that if all the doses of vaccines are given properly they will protect 80-95% of the children who are immunised.

When should my child not be immunised?

If your child is undergoing medical treatment, has a serious disease or lives with someone with a severe disease, has an immune system that is not working properly or had severe allergic reactions to immunisations before, or has recently had other vaccinations or blood treatments, immunisation may not be advisable. Talk to your doctor.