ABSTRACT
All the preventive measures carried out in primary care, immunisation is the best researched and most cost-effective. There should be an individual within the practice who takes overall responsibility for immunisation issues. This includes arrangement of appointments, data collection, supply and storage of vaccines and clinical advice in difficult cases. With increasing experience and research, it is evident that there are very few contraindications to most vaccines. Administration of a live vaccine to some immunocompromised people may result in severe adverse reactions such as a severe form of disease being vaccinated against. With increasing experience and research, there are now few contraindications to pertussis vaccine. Combined Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced into the UK in 1988 to replace single-measles vaccine, used since 1968. A conjugate pneumococcal vaccine is licensed for use in children at high risk of invasive pneumococcal disease. Most babies, even premature ones, produce an adequate immune response to the vaccines given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.
