28. Why does BCG vaccine form a wound?
- BCG makes a reaction in the skin where it is given. This shows that the vaccine has worked and the child’s body is becoming protected from some serious forms of tuberculosis.
29. I have never heard of Hib. Why should I immunise my child against it?
- I didn’t always know what Hib was, either. Then I learned that it is a dangerous germ that causes many of the pneumonia and meningitis cases we see (or used to see!).
- The Hib vaccine prevents serious types of pneumonia and meningitis and saves thousands of lives every year.
- If the caregiver wants to know, Hib stands for Haemophilus influenzaetype B.
30. Why does my child need to keep being immunised against polio?
- Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is safe and effective, and every dose brings a child closer to being fully protected against polio. It takes multiple doses of OPV to achieve full immunity against polio.
- Although wild polio disease has been eliminated from many countries, it still exists in others, so unprotected children could be infected.
- When the virus is eradicated worldwide, we will be able to stop using polio vaccine. However, as long as polio exists in the world, our children need protection.
31. What is this new injectable polio vaccine, and why does my child need both the new and the old one?
- IPV is an effective vaccine used to help protect children from and ultimately eradicate polio. It has been used all over the world for more than 50 years.
- IPV does not replace the OPV vaccine. Rather, IPV is used as well as OPV because they work together to best strengthen a child’s immune system against polio.