Baby Brie: Protection via Childhood Immunisations
When you have a baby, one of the things that we parents will naturally pay serious attention to is childhood immunisations. Especially here in Singapore, where the Ministry of Health regards this immunisation issue seriously.
All my three kids were born here in Singapore, so I thought I should share some info on vaccinations and how things are done here.
Here goes.
– Babies are all given the BCG jab (on their buttock) before they ‘check out’ of the hospital after delivery
– Each baby is also given a ‘health book’ by the respective hospital
Important: Parents MUST make sure NOT to lose that book (because you’ll need it to get the kid to Primary School here! They’ll check and ensure that all scheduled vaccinations have been completed)
– Every time a ‘scheduled’ vaccination is completed, the doctor will immediately fill out a form on the child’s behalf (that’s to be sent to the Ministry of Health), jot down the details of the jab in the book, officially sign it, and put a ‘stamp’ on it.
– Experts have now come up with a 6-in-1 vaccine, which basically means, instead of getting 6 jabs, a child gets all in 1 jab! (Well, something like that. Better go and ask your doctor, if you want to be extra sure =)
– And if you’re going for a 6-in-1 vaccine, the ‘immunisation schedule’ then becomes:
Birth: BCG and Hepatitis (For Brie’s case, she only received the BCG jab at the hospital)
2 mth: 6 in 1
4 mth: 6 in 1
6 mth: 6 in 1
Click HERE to see Singapore’s complete immunisation schedule.
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Brie was still not quite 100% well when she was 2 months old (she had quite a bad cough before then), so we only brought her to be vaccinated today, when she’s close to turning 12 weeks old.
We took her to our usual GP and the Doc did a quick check up before giving her the jab (eg. Her weight, length, head circumference, hips, etc)
Brie cried for a good 10 seconds after getting the needle, and she was all okay after that.
I think the colourful stickers around the clinic managed to grab her attention =)
Anyway, her next jab will be when she’s 4 months old.
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Quick stats and updates, as at 12 weeks :
– Weight: 6,6kg
– Length: 60cm
– Head circumference: 39cm
– Smiles back at us, coos a lot
– Can lift head at 90deg angle for at least 20 seconds by now.
– Has started to sleep through the night *woohoo!*, like for a good 9 hours straight without waking up for a feed. Errr, Mom on the other hand gets a *really* bad engorgement in the morning!
– Has found THE hand, and THE thumb! (read: sucks fist or puts thumb into mouth)
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I wonder how childhood immunisations are done in other countries. Can anyone share?
Also, if you can add more info to whatever that I’ve written above, please please do and share in the comment box yeah! Am sure it’ll be useful to many other parents! Thanks everyone!
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nice blog, I love to read it
Over here in Switzerland – it’s pretty much the same as SG – but no BCG… see details here http://www.euvac.net/graphics/euvac/vaccination/switzerland.html
u can also see the schedule for different EU countries…
hmm… interesting to see how different country imposes different immunisation schedule.
In some ways, we have similar system as Sgp. But instead of getting the book from respective hospital, we get the same health book state wide. eg. every baby who’s born in Vic will have the same health book regardless of which hosp they are born. But Vic health book is slightly different from WA health book or from NSW health book etc.
Immunisation details are inside this book too and every time the child is immunised at respective age, they will stamp and date it. Immunisation schedule is standard. every child has the same jabs. When the children go to primary school, we have to produce what is called immunisation history statement The health book itself isn’t sufficient even though it does record all the immunisation the child receives. So, we have to ring Medicare (Aust immunisation register) to get them to post that to us. All immunisation is FREE. You can go to the GP to get it done or I’d prefer to go to the designated places at designated dates where the council people will open up a place to immunise the children.
We do not have BCG vaccination like Sgp (as the standard immunisation schedule). but you can get BCG shot if you wish. But it’s expensive so my both kids haven’t got BCG shot.
here is our immunisation schedule
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/patients/acir/schedule.jsp