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Welcome to the Health Scotland Immunisation Website

Changes to the routine Childhood Immunisation Programme
The Scottish Executive Health Department have introduced important changes to the childhood immunisation programme that will start Monday 4th September 2006. These changes will ensure that young children in the country are offered the best protection against serious vaccine-preventable diseases.

A Chief Medical Officer/Chief Nursing Officer/Chief Pharmecuetical Officer letter, outlining the changes is available -
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/cmo/CMO(2006)09.pdf

The changes, recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are:
• the introduction of a new vaccine to protect against pneumococcal infection;
• a pnuemococcal vaccination catch-up programme;
• amending the Meningitis C vaccination schedule to give two doses of vaccine in the first year of life, and a booster dose in the second year;
• the addition of a booster dose of Hib vaccine

This website provides up-to-date information for parents, healthcare professionals and the wider public - anyone who needs to know the facts about immunisation.

All of Health Scotland's publications (including translations into a range of languages), leaflets and a comprehensive range of additional information is available on this website in the following three sections:

There are no routine immunisations for most primary school pupils or for most adults aged 25-64 years old. However, anyone over two months old who has a serious heart, chest or other long-term health problem may be advised to have the Flu or Pneumococcal vaccines. For more information please speak to your doctor, practice nurse or phone the NHS Helpline on Freephone 0800 22 44 88.

Most infectious diseases have not disappeared.
Immunisation is the safest and most effective way to protect against them.