Child Health: birth – 15 years

Please refer to the page, Childrens Immunisatons for the full Vaccinations Schedule from the NHS.

Immunisations for ‘at-risk’ children: 

• At birth, 1 month, 2 months and 12 months old:
  • Hepatitis B – Hep B vaccine given in the thigh
• At birth
  • Tuberculosis – BCG given in the upper arm (intradermal)

Routine Immunisatons for girls aged 12 – 13 years:

• Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 (and genital wards caused by types 6 and 11)
  • HPV (Gardasil) is given in the upper arm
• Tetanus, diphtheria and Polio:
  • Td/IPV (Revaxis), and check MMR status is given in the upper arm.
• Meningitis C
  • (Meningitec, Menjugate or NeisVac-C) is given in the upper arm.

Please note:

** Where two or more injections are required at once, these should ideally be given in different limbs. Where this is not possible, injections in the same limb should be given 2.5cm apart.

The Meningitis C vaccination will be introduced during the 2013/14 academic year and the vaccine supplied will depend on the brands available at the time of ordering.

When Should I Worry?

Having an ill child can be a very scary experience for parents. If you understand more about the illness it can help you to feel more in control. This booklet is for parents (and older children) and deals with common infections in children who are normally healthy.

There is a good guide on the NHS website which describes various conditions affecting children. There is advice on how to diagnose them, how to treat them and if further advice should be consulted.

NHS childhood illness slideshow

Fevers

Most symptoms of a fever in young children can be managed at home with infant paracetamol. If the fever is very high, they may have an infection that needs treating with antibiotics.

Bupa – more about childhood fevers
NHS Choices – what temperature is a fever?

https://youtu.be/oTLwaeJEV1E

Head Lice

Head lice are insects that live on the scalp and neck. They may make your head feel itchy. Although head lice may be embarrassing and sometimes uncomfortable, they don’t usually cause illness. However, they won’t clear up on their own and you need to treat them promptly

Head Lice Factsheet

NHS Choices

Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds (also known as epistaxis) are fairly common, especially in children, and can generally be easily treated.

St Johns Ambulance
NHS Choices

NHS Choices Conditions and Treatments

See the NHS Choices Conditions and Treatments browser  for an in-depth description of many common health issues.

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice