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What shots does your child need for a lifetime of better health? Find out here.
Source: Malaysian Ministry of Health
Ask your doctor about combination vaccines, which allow multiple vaccines to be delivered in one injection.
We forget so many important things when we become parents. And giving our kids their shots shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide on childhood immunisations. It lists important childhood vaccinations, the diseases they prevent and the side effects you can expect. For your convenience, we’ve also included the Malaysian Ministry of Health’s (MOH/KKM) age-by-age schedule of immunisations and a useful list of optional jabs that many parents decide is a good thing to give their kids.
Browse the entire article or click on a link that interests you: |
| 1. BCG (bacille Calmette-Guérin) Vaccine |
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Protects against:
Tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infection that attacks the lungs. It can also damage other parts of the body. TB is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease is actively present in many Asian populations. Due to drug-resistance, it presents a great danger to many children and adults. If not treated promptly and properly, TB can be deadly.
Dosage:
BCG is given as a single dose at birth.
Most obvious side effects:
Pain and swelling at the injection site. The shot will leave a scar.
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Protects against:
Hepatitis B. Caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), it affects the liver. The disease is quite specific to the Asian population. When someone is infected by HBV, he/ she can become a lifelong carrier of the virus, eventually developing liver disease or liver cancer.
Dosage:
The Hepatitis B vaccine is given in three doses. If the first dose is given at birth, the second follows at a month old and the third at about five months old. Please note that for children whose mothers are HBV carriers ,soon after birth, these babies will need hepatitis B immunoglobulin in addition to the 1st dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Check with your doctor for details.
Most obvious side effects:
Low-grade fever. Pain or tenderness at the injection site.
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Protects against:
Meningitis caused by the Haemophilus Influenzae Type B bacteria. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can be life-threatening if not promptly and properly treated. The vaccine also offers protection against other illnesses caused by the bacteria, such as pneumonia, epiglotitis ((inflammation a small cartilage "lid" that covers the windpipe, causing suffocation), pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane covering the heart), sepsis and infections of bones and joints.
Dosage:
Three doses are given — at ages three months, four months and five months.
Most obvious side effects:
Redness or swelling at the injection site.
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Protects against:
Diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.
• Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that usually affects the throat and sometimes the nose. The infection can block the airway, cause severe breathing problems and lead to death.
• Pertussis is also known as whooping cough (named after the gasping sound an infected child makes after a coughing bout). It is caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. It usually starts with cold-like symptoms and progresses to serious coughing. In some cases, the child may even stop breathing. Children under six months old are especially vulnerable to pertussis.
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Tetanus (or lockjaw) is a nerve disease. It usually arises from a wound that is contaminated by the Clostridium Tetani bacterium (commonly found in soil). The infection then leads to muscle spasms in the jaw and a tightening (“locking”) of muscles in the neck, back and other parts of the body.
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Dosage:
The DPT vaccine is given as a booster when the baby is 18 months old. Then, a second booster at are at six years old.
Most obvious side effects:
Serious reactions are rare. Mild side effects include low-grade fever, slight crankiness, loss of appetite and swelling at the injection site.
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Protects against:
Polio (also known as Poliomyelitis), a historically devastating disease. Polio is a contagious viral illness. Although rare in developed nations, the virus continues to plague populations in less developed Asian countries.
Dosage:
There are two types of polio vaccines. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) contains active germs and is given orally while the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is given as an injection. Nowadays, IPV is given as a combined injection with DTP-Hib for the primary three doses and its first booster. The three primary doses are given at three, four and five months of age. This is followed by booster dose at 18 months. The second booster is given at 6 years. These are given as oral polio vaccine together with the DPT/DT vaccine.
Most obvious side effects (IPV):
Usually mild, such as soreness at the injection site.
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Protects against:
Measles, Mumps and Rubella.
• Measles is a very contagious viral disease with fever and flu-like symptoms plus a full-body skin rash. Although it isn’t a common illness, it can be passed on very easily when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
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Mumps is a viral disease that can spread through the saliva. It can infect various parts of the body but is best known for causing painful swelling of the parotid salivary glands (located at the back of each cheek). • Rubella or German Measles is caused by a different kind of virus from the measles virus. Rubella affects the skin and lymph nodes. While Rubella may be mild in children, it can be dangerous in pregnant women. If passed on to an unborn child, it can causing mental retardation, heart malformation and various other disabilities |
Dosage:
MMR is given in two doses—the primary dose at age 12 months and the booster dose at 6 years old.
Most obvious side effects:
A slight fever, rash and/ or mild joint pain.
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| MALAYSIAN CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION SCHEDULE |
Child’s age |
Vaccine (protects against) |
| At birth |
BCG (Tuberculosis)
Hepatitis B – 1st dose (Hepatitis B) |
| 1 month |
Hepatitis B – 2nd dose (Hepatitis B) |
| 2 months |
DTwP+Hib – 1st dose
Polio vaccine – 1st dose |
| 3 months |
DTwP+Hib – 2nd dose
Polio vaccine – 2nd dose |
| 5 months |
Hepatitis B – 3rd dose
DTwP+Hib – 3rd dose
Polio vaccine – 3nd dose |
| 6 months |
Measles – only in Sabah |
| 12 months |
MMR – 1st dose |
| 18 months |
DTP or DT – 1st booster
Polio vaccine – 1st booster |
| 6 – 7 years |
DPT or DT – 2nd booster
Polio vaccine – 2nd booster (Poliomyelitis)
MMR – 2nd dose |
| 15 years |
Tetanus Booster |
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Source: Malaysian Ministry of Health
Ask your doctor about combination vaccines, which allow multiple vaccines to be delivered in one injection.
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