How long do childhood vaccines last

Below we cover how many vaccines are recommended for children and when, an overview of the schedule changes, and list vaccine recommendations by age group. Currently, 16 vaccines — some requiring multiple doses at specific ages and times — are recommended from birth to 18 years old. Recommended vaccines include:.

Make an appointment. In , no major changes were made. But the schedule was updated to include the latest guidance on catch-up vaccinations for Hib and HPV vaccines. The flu vaccine — or influenza vaccine — may be the most well-known of all immunizations. Find out how to protect your kids from infectious diseases.

Keep up to date with the Childhood National Immunisation Program schedule. Read more on Immunisation Coalition website. The COVID pandemic has led to a decrease in children getting their routine childhood vaccinations.

Read more on Australian Prescriber website. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has released its advice for immunisation providers regarding the administration of seasonal influenza vaccines. Despite the frequency with which COVID appears in the media, there remains a need for relevant, practical and informed information for healthcare professionals about different aspects of the current pandemic. Healthdirect Australia is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering.

There is a total of 5 error s on this form, details are below. Please enter your name Please enter your email Your email is invalid. Please check and try again Please enter recipient's email Recipient's email is invalid. Please check and try again Agree to Terms required. Thank you for sharing our content. A message has been sent to your recipient's email address with a link to the content webpage.

Your name: is required Error: This is required. Vaccination is the term used for getting a vaccine — that is, actually getting the injection or taking an oral vaccine dose. Immunisation refers to the process of both getting the vaccine and becoming immune to the disease following vaccination.

All forms of immunisation work in the same way. When someone is injected with a vaccine, their body produces an immune response in the same way it would following exposure to a disease but without the person getting the disease. If the person comes in contact with the disease in the future, the body is able to make an immune response fast enough to prevent the person developing the disease or developing a severe case of the disease. Some vaccines contain a very small dose of a live but weakened form of a virus.

Some vaccines contain a very small dose of killed bacteria or small parts of bacteria, and other vaccines contain a small dose of a modified toxin produced by bacteria. Vaccines may also contain either a small amount of preservative or a small amount of an antibiotic to preserve the vaccine. Some vaccines may also contain a small amount of an aluminium salt, which helps produce a better immune response.

In general, the normal immune response takes approximately 2 weeks to work. This means protection from an infection will not occur immediately after immunisation. Most immunisations need to be given several times to build long-lasting protection.

A child who has been given only 1 or 2 doses of the DTPa vaccine is only partially protected against diphtheria , tetanus and pertussis whooping cough and may become sick if exposed to these diseases until they have all the doses they need. However, some of the new vaccines, such as the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, provide long-lasting immunity after only one dose. The protective effect of immunisations is not always lifelong. Some, like tetanus vaccine, can last up to 10 years depending on your age, after which time a booster dose may be given.

Some immunisations, such as whooping cough vaccine, give protection for about 5 years after a full course. Sometimes can occur up to 2 hours after the shot.

Vaccine health workers know how to treat these reactions. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen. Bellevue Everett Federal Way Seattle. Should your child see a doctor? All Symptoms. Accept All Cookies.