National Immunisation Schedule

The National Immunisation Registry in Singapore collects and maintain complete and current vaccination records of children from birth to 18 years of age in Singapore, to promote effective and cost-efficient disease prevention and control. The Registry will send you your child's immunisation certificate once he/she completes the necessary basic immunisations. When your child registers for primary school, the school authorities will check your child’s immunisation certificates to see if he or she has completed all the immunisations.

There are nine potentially dangerous childhood diseases against which immunisations are available.

Diphtheria: Starts as a throat infection, but can cause obstruction to breathing and death.

Hepatitis B: An infection of the liver that may have no symptoms. It can lead to liver failure or liver cancer in adulthood.

Measles: Starts with high fever and a rash. Lung infection, deafness and brain damage can occur.

Mumps: An infection of the salivary glands. It can lead to brain infection, deafness or sterility.

Pertussis(whooping cough): Causes prolonged attacks of coughing and can result in pneumonia (lung infection) or brain damage.
Poliomyelitis: Starts with mild fever but can result in paralysed and deformed arms or legs.

Rubella(German measles): Complications in children are rare. Women infected during early pregnancy may give birth to deaf, blind or mentally retarded babies.

Tetanus: Causes severe muscle contractions, including those muscles that control swallowing and breathing. It often leads to death.

Tuberculosis: A disease that commonly affects the lungs. It can also affect the bones, kidneys, intestines and brain.

The National Childhood Immunisation Schedule is as follows:

At Birth
BCG
Hepatitis B - 1st Dose

1 Month
Hepatitis B - 2nd Dose

3 Months
DPT/DT - 1st Dose
Oral Sabin - 1st Dose

4 Months
DPT/DT - 2nd Dose
Oral Sabin - 2nd Dose

5 Months
DPT/DT - 3rd Dose
Oral Sabin - 3rd Dose

5-6 Months*
Hepatitis B - 3rd Dose

1-2 Years
MMR - Primary dose

18 Months
DPT/DT - 1st Booster
Oral Sabin - 1st Booster

6-7 Years (Primary 1)
Oral Sabin - 2nd Booster
MMR - Booster dose

10-11 Years (Primary 5)(See note)
DT-containing vaccine - 2nd Booster**
Oral Sabin - 3rd Booster

* The 3rd dose of Hepatitis B vaccination can be given with the 3rd dose of DPT and Oral Sabin for the convenience of parents.

** Can use either : Diphtheria-tetanus vaccine; or Combined tetanus, reduced diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine

Note: Children in Primary 6 in 2008 will still receive the MMR booster and DT 3rd booster. Children in Primary 5 (2008 -2011) will receive the MMR booster and DT 3rd booster.

More complete information can be found here.

There are also immunisations that combine several vaccines together, as in 6-in-1, 5-in-1 or 4-in-1:
6in1 includes the following vaccines:DTPa + HiB + IPV + HEPB
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertusiss,Haemophilus influenza type B,Inactivated Polio Vaccine and Hepatitis B.

5in1 includes:DTPa + HiB + IPV
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertusiss,Haemophilus influenza type B, andInactivated Polio Vaccine.

4in1 includes:DTPa + HiB
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertusiss,Haemophilus influenza type B

Please consult your doctor if you need more information. The above information is obtained from http://www.nir.hpb.gov.sg

Know about vaccinations and how they work

Below is a useful piece of information from the web on immunity and vaccines, which all concerned parents would be interested to know.

How Immunity Works
You get sick when your body is invaded by germs. When measles virus enters your body it gives you measles. Whooping cough bacteria cause whooping cough. And so on.

It is the job of your immune system to protect you from these germs. Here's how it works:

Germs enter your body and start to reproduce. Your immune system recognizes these germs as invaders from outside your body and responds by making proteins called antibodies. Antibodies have two jobs. The first is to help destroy the germs that are making you sick. Because the germs have a head start, you will already be sick by the time your immune system has produced enough antibodies to destroy them. But by eliminating the attacking germs, antibodies help you to get well.

Now the antibodies start doing their second job. They remain in your bloodstream, guarding you against future infections. If the same germs ever try to infect you again - even after many years - these antibodies will come to your defense. Only now they can destroy the germs before they have a chance to make you sick. This process is called immunity. It is why most people get diseases like measles or chickenpox only once, even though they might be exposed many times during their lifetime. This is a very effective system for preventing disease. The only problem is you have to get sick before you develop immunity.

How Vaccines Help
The idea behind vaccination is to give you immunity to a disease before it has a chance to make you sick.

Vaccines are made from the same germs (or parts of them) that cause disease - measles vaccine is made from measles virus, for instance, and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine is made from parts of the Hib bacteria. But the germs in vaccines are either killed or weakened so they won't make you sick.

Then the vaccines containing these weakened or killed germs are introduced into your body, usually by injection. Your immune system reacts to the vaccine the same as it would if it were being invaded by the disease - by making antibodies. The antibodies destroy the vaccine germs just as they would the disease germs. Then they stay in your body, giving you immunity. If you are ever exposed to the real disease, the antibodies will be there to protect you.

Immunizations help your child's immune system do its work. The child develops protection against future infections, the same as if he or she had been exposed to the natural disease. The good news is, with vaccines your child doesn't have to get sick first to get that protection.

It is common for your child to have fever after the immunisation. So don't worry too much. Click here for the side effects of various childhood vaccinations.

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21429