Family Health:

Check-ups for the kids

GET VACCINATED

“Parents want to do everything possible to make sure their children are healthy and protected from preventable diseases. Vaccination is the best way to do that,” says DR BERNADETA WIBISONO, a Us-trained paediatric doctor at International Medical Clinic (IMC) Paediatric. “Vaccination protects children from serious illnesses and complications of vaccine-preventable diseases, which can include amputation of an arm or leg, paralysis of limbs, hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage and death.”

Outbreaks of preventable diseases occur when many parents decide not to vaccinate their children, explains Dr Wibisono. “If children aren’t vaccinated, they can spread disease to other children who are too young to be vaccinated, or to people with weakened immune systems such as transplant recipients and cancer patients. This could result in long-term complications, and even death, for these vulnerable people.”

Most developed countries have a set vaccination schedule with small variations depending on their unique circumstances. At IMC, the doctors follow Singapore’s vaccination schedule along with the parents’ preferred country’s schedule, which will likely be similar to here but with minor, location-specific differences.

The must-list

In Singapore, there are two vaccines that are mandatory by law: diphtheria and measles.

“A child should receive three doses of diphtheria vaccines before the age of one year. The first booster dose is given at 18 months, followed by a top-up booster above the age of 11 to maintain continued protection against diphtheria,” says Dr Wibisono. “For measles, the first vaccine is given at 12 months of age, followed by a second booster at 15 to 18 months.”

In addition to these compulsory vaccines, there are other immunisations that a child needs in order to register in primary school here in Singapore, including BCG, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B. And, although the number of necessary vaccinations can seem overwhelming, many of them are given as a combination of different vaccines in a single injection. For instance, the MMR vaccine inoculates against measles, mumps and rubella all at once, while the “six in one” protects against diphtheria, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), pertussis, polio and tetanus in a single shot.

Other recommended jabs

Dr Wibisono also recommends pneumococcal vaccines for infants, to protect against bacterial infections that can cause severe illnesses like pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. Also important for infants, she says, is to vaccinate against rotavirus, which causes gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhoea).

“Influenza vaccine is another one we recommend yearly,” says Dr Wibisono. “Infants six months or older may receive their first influenza vaccine. Children younger than nine years old will need two doses of influenza vaccine if they’re receiving them for the first time.”

Since Singapore-based kids are likely to travel around the region, Dr Wibisono also recommends getting vaccinated for hepatitis A (an infectious disease of the liver that’s usually spread by consuming contaminated food or water) and typhoid (caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi, which can lead to high fever, diarrhoea and vomiting), and sometimes Japanese encephalitis (a disease transmitted through mosquitoes that may cause swelling around the brain) if travelling to rural areas or rice paddies.

Shattering misconceptions

“The biggest misconception about vaccination is that vaccines cause autism,” says Dr Wibisono. “This widespread fear originated with a 1997 study published by Andrew Wakefield, a British surgeon. The article was published in The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal, suggesting that the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine was increasing autism in British children. The paper has since been completely discredited due to serious procedural errors, undisclosed financial conflicts of interest, and ethical violations. Andrew Wakefield lost his medical license and the paper was retracted from The Lancet.”

She adds, “The fact is, vaccines save lives and protect against the spread of disease. If you decide not to immunise, you’re not only putting your child at risk to catch a disease that is dangerous or deadly, but also putting others in contact with your child at risk. Getting vaccinated is much better than getting the disease.”

International Medical Clinic Paediatric #11-06 Camden Medical Centre 1 Orchard Boulevard 6887 4440 | imc-healthcare.com