ADVERT
Have your kids had the MMR vaccine? My eldest has, and my twins had their first dose at 12 months old with them being due to go back soon for the second dose. Taking your little ones for vaccinations is never fun (there are some tips here on how to make it as stress-free as possible). It’s SO IMPORTANT to make sure children are up to date with all their routine vaccinations before they start school, or nursery, so that they can fully benefit from the protection they offer.
Here’s why…
- Right now, around 1 in 10 children are unvaccinated and unprotected against MMR, putting their friends and classmates at risk.
- The measles vaccination alone has prevented 20 million measles cases and 4,500 deaths in the UK since the introduction of the vaccine in 1968. This is a BRILLIANT thing!
- Diseases like smallpox and polio have been eradicated in England thanks to vaccines.
- Measles is a highly infectious disease that can lead to complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, and inflammation of the brain which require hospitalisation and on rare occasions can lead to long term disability or death.
- Routine vaccinations are offered for free on the NHS to all babies and children in the UK and the NHS has continued to prioritise routine vaccinations throughout the pandemic. God bless the NHS.
Some children might have missed getting their routine vaccinations during the pandemic so if yours did, don’t worry! But now is a great time to come forward and get them booked in.
What to do now:
- Contact your GP practice to book their first or second dose.
- If you are not sure if your child is up to date with all their routine vaccinations check their Red Book (personal child health record).
- If your child was due to have either of the two doses of MMR but has not yet received them, no matter what age they are, you should contact your GP practice to get them vaccinated as soon as possible.
For more information, head to http://nhs.uk/MMR
