Tetanus

"One every five years"? "Once every 10 years"? NEITHER! The new Department of Health guidelines recommend five tetanus jabs in your lifetime - three as a baby, one when starting school and when leaving school. The only exception to the above guidelines is in the event of a nasty dirty injury. Please ask us about your tetanus status. See our travel clinic section.

Polio

Child immunisation is detailed above. All adults are usually immunised in childhood. The only adults needing Polio immunisation are:

• Those who have never had a polio immunisation course
• Those patients travelling to countries where polio immunisation is recommended

There is no need to boost previously immunised adults who are NOT travelling abroad.

Hepatitis A

Travellers to many countries are advised to have Hepatitis A immunisation. A booster is given after a year and this covers the patient for 10 years. Sewage workers and Water Board workers should have both Hepatitis A and B immunisation.

Hepatitis B

This immunisation is recommended for all health workers and other allied professions. The schedule for immunisation is 1st hepatitis B vaccination then a month later 2nd hepatitis B vaccination then 5 months later 3rd hepatitis B vaccination then after 6-8 weeks a blood test to check up uptake of vaccination.

Booster vaccinations are advised after 5 years. There is still no decision on whether "5 in a lifetime" are sufficient. Recent changes in Government advice about Hepatitis B means that the immunisation is not given free under the NHS. The cost is £80 for the course of three injections, £15 for the subsequent blood test and £24 for any further injections.

If a job requires the patient to have Hepatitis B immunisation, then the employer should pay for the course of immunisation.

Influenza

In 1999-2000 there was a 'flu epidemic. Those persons who had had the 'flu jab were covered. As a result the Government have recommended that from October 2000 the following groups of people should be immunised

• All patients over 65 years old
• All diabetic patients
• All patients with bad chest and heart problems
• All Health Workers

Influenza jabs are available from October every year. Look out for the special clinics which are held each year in the autumn. In 2001 over 2500 received a 'flu jab.