We took our kid to the doctor for a jab the other day. He recommend that we give our 2.5 year old daughter the Pneumococcal jab. He citied that it is a compulsary jab for kids in developed countries such as the U.S. and Australia. Is this true???

Dave ....

Not sure if it is compulsory in Oz yet but it is certainly given to most kids. There is a big push to introduce it here in the UK ... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...030653,00.html

I'm sure you would find out quite a bit by looking on some of the baby-oriented forums like www.essentialbaby.com.au and there is government advice available at http://immunise.health.gov.au/pneumococcal/index.htm

No vaccinations are compulsory in Australia. Your doctor wants to get his facts straight.

AGREE!!!!!!!!

I agree too but the school you choose may insist your child is vaccinated for specific things before letting you start.

http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/living.asp?cid=18

You may find that primary and pre-schools insist your children have been vaccinated against childhood illnesses such as polio, smallpox, measles and diphtheria. You will need to show a vaccination certificate and schools usually ask to see your child's birth certificate for proof of age.

Both our primary and high state school certainly did and we had to ensure we brought our vaccination certificates from the UK over in our suitcases because we had been told neither child would be starting school until the certificates where sighted.

I just wanted to point out that Smallpox is not one of the vaccines that anyone is now given (politicians maybe but thats another subject) Smallpox was eradicated in 1970ish although the disease is still kept in labs ready for a war Sorry off subject and don't get me started on that

On the point of pneumococcol vaccine, out of 8 our family children 2 have had pneumonia causing lung damage and my daughter had pneumococcol septicaemia of which she almost died.

I think this is really interesting, I think the website for NSW should be updated. I admit I just did a cut and paste of the advice this time, lucky for me I didn't read it from here at the time and run round insisting my kids needed it!!

Only private schools have the right to refuse entry to unvaccinated children and that is a matter of individual policy, not law. Vaccines are entirely voluntary in Australia and enrolment cannot be refused by a state school on the grounds that a child is unvaccinated.

Vaccinations are not compulsory, I'd love to see how they would implement that I think your doctor probably meant that it is recommended.

With state schools in WA you will be asked which illnesses your child is vaccinated against, as far as i know they cannot refuse to accept your child if it is not immunised but if there is an case of a disease that your child is not protected from then you may be asked to remove your child from the school until the risk has passed.

Lynn

This is accurate, Lynn. Unvaccinated children are excluded upon confirmation of a *vaccine-preventable* illness in the school. There is currently a red alert at dd's school for measles, and they are saying exclusion will be for 14 days from the day of the onset of the rash in the latest case.

Meningococcal serogroups B and C are responsible for most cases of meningitis, but no safe vaccine exists for serogroup b.

16,000 adverse reactions and 11 deaths reported in the UK by August 2000, only 8 months after introduction! :scared:

Approx 10 percent of the 3,000 meningococcal meningitis cases per year are fatal

all uk figures


why would anyone have it!!

I'm confused aren't pneumococcal and meningococcal 2 different bacteria although of the same coccol family?

too many coccals, ignore my anti-vaccine rambles!

I ramble on a regular basis, it's good for me, it keeps my otherwise bored stupid brain slightly active. Life's generally a bit

Ann

Coccal means grape.