What jabs and when

One of the key vaccinations is for whooping cough.

Getting vaccinated while you're pregnant may help to protect your baby from developing the potentially fatal condition in their first few weeks of life.

The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provide passive protection for them until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at two months old.

Young babies with whooping cough are often very unwell and most will be admitted to hospital because of their illness.

Pregnant women can safely help protect their babies by getting vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis) when they are 28-38 weeks pregnant.

It's recommended that all pregnant women have the flu vaccine, whatever stage of pregnancy they're at.

Once your little bundle of joy arrives and has been registered with your GP, your doctor will keep you informed of the inoculations they need to receive.

Here is a quick guide: Two months: Your baby will have a 5-in-1 injection of DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine – this single jab contains vaccines to protect against five separate diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b. Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine. Rotavirus vaccine – although this is given orally.

Three months: The second dose of the 5-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/ Hib) vaccine. Meningitis C. Second dose of Rotavirus vaccine. Four months: Third dose of 5-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib) vaccine. Second dose of Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine.

Once your child starts school, it is important to keep up to date with the childhood immunisation schedule, this is coordinated by the school nursing team.

Here is a quick guide according to school year: Year 1, 2 and 3: your child will be offered the flu vaccine – this is given as a nasal spray on a yearly basis during October/December.

Year 8 girls will be offered the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer – this is given as two injections at least 6 months apart.

Year 9 pupils will be offered the 3-1 teenage booster which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and polio, they will also be offered the MenACWY vaccine which protects against meningitis (caused by meningococcal types A, C, W and Y bacteria).

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations. Alternatively, contact your GP, health visitor or school nurse.

Sounds insane to me. My mother had 10 siblings only one died and that was through a faulty heart. They had good food, good air from living in a rural area and in 1900 they didn't have all these vaccinations to safeguard them but they thrived.