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Vaccination and Immunisation
Immunisation in Childhood
Early in the year the single schedule of immunisation in childhood, recommended
by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation of which the Authority was
notified by the Ministry of Health in December 1967 as advance information, was put
into effect by the medical staff of the Department. The new procedures include
vaccination against measles and make several important modifications affecting the
minimum age at which immunisation against diphtheria/tetanus and pertussis and
poliomyelitis should preferably begin, the spacing doses in the basic course of immunisation
against these diseases and the spacing of subsequent re-inforcing doses. It
is desirable that the basic course of immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
and poliomyelitis, which consists of three doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
(triple) vaccine and, concurrently, three doses of oral poliomyelitis vaccine, should be
completed by about the first birthday or as early as possible thereafter, consistent with
the recommended spacing of the doses. The age at which the first dose is given is
important and so are the intervals between doses. The desirable intervals between the
doses of the basic course are six weeks between the first and second doses and six
months or more between the second and third doses. These intervals offer optimum
protection from three doses and render unnecessary the giving of a re-inforcing dose
during the second year of life.
These recommended procedures were confirmed by the receipt, in August, of Ministry
of Health Circular 29/68 which also included a revised list of vaccinations and immunisations
and associated fees for the purpose of determining payments due to General
Practitioners.