Vaccinations are given to children to protect them against certain diseases which cause severe illness or serious complications. The vaccination itself is both safe and effective and the very small risk of any side effects is far less than the risk to your child if they were to contract the disease.
When germs (either bacteria or viruses) get into us our bodies react by producing antibodies which attack and destroy them. The process of making antibodies however takes time and this means that during this period the germs can cause severe illness and damage in the body.
A vaccination is a small dose of a particular virus or bacteria which has been destroyed. This means that it is not able to cause illness, but it does allow the body to be exposed to it and so develop antibodies to it. Once the body has produced antibodies to a particular type of germ these stay in the body and allow it to recognise and destroy that germ if we are exposed to it in the future. This is called ‘immunity’.
In many cases it is necessary to give a number of doses of a particular vaccine in order to give better longer lasting immunity.
In Ireland the HSE offers a free childhood vaccination programme available through GPs and health clinics. This is available to all children. For details of the childhood immunisation programme please click here.