Where
are the single vaccines made? They are manufactured either in Europe or
the USA by large multinational pharmaceutical
companies. See the separate vaccine sheets for
more information on this.
How
are the vaccines transported to the clinic? They are imported by a company that specialises
in importing drugs from abroad and has approval
from the DoH to import the single vaccines. They
arrive at our premises in temperature controlled
conditions like all our other vaccines.
How
do you store the vaccines? They are stored, along with other vaccines,
in temperature controlled fridges especially
designed for vaccine storage.
How
long can the vaccines be stored? The 'shelf life' or expiry date will vary
from batch to batch, but is usually a year or
longer.
Do
the vaccines contain mercury? Neither the MMR nor any of the measles, mumps
or rubella single vaccines contain mercury since they are live attenuated vaccines, and hence do not need mercury as a preservative. They are transported, stored and preserved via the 'cold chain' system.
Why should I use E-Med for the separate jabs? E-Med is based at the well known Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, famous for its private birth unit in St Johns Wood. You will be assured of a comfortable surrounding and friendly staff at all times. E-Med is one of the few private clinics in London that offers the separate jabs and is situated outside the congestion charging zone (zone 2). Also, a standard consultation with the doctor is not necessary, although available for anyone who requires it. The procedure is done by a Registered Nurse, qualified and experienced in paediatric immunisations, who will guide you through the entire process, and try to make it as comfortable as possible.
Being based at a hospital has an added advantage since we have a resus team together with the Registered Medical Officer (RMO) on hand in the case of an emergency. This is very important when choosing a clinic, as many are in non-medical premises with no emergency support.
What qualifications do your medical staff have? The nurses at E-Med are Nurse Practitioners qualified and experienced in children’s immunisations. In addition, our clinics are always covered by an on-site General Practitioner. The nurse would always refer to the doctor if there was any cause for concern. As mentioned above, a resus team is readily available at the hospital in case of an emergency.
In addition, all medical staff at E-Med undergo regular training in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Management of Anaphylaxis.
Are
the single vaccines safe? They are at least as safe as the MMR.
Do
the vaccines have side-effects? All vaccines have side-effects. The vaccines
offered by e-med have no additional side-effects
to those occurring with the MMR vaccine. (For the list of side-effects, click on the appropriate vaccine on the top of the page).
Why should I immunise
my child with the Separate MMR Vaccinations? Children that are not immunised against Measles, Mumps and Rubella are at risk from catching the
diseases and rely on other people immunising their child in order to avoid infection.
Due to ongoing media speculation surrounding the controversial MMR vaccine and its links to autism and bowel
disorders, numerous parents are reluctant to vaccinate their children. In spite of reassurances, many still have
anxieties and therefore do not vaccinate at all. If more parents choose not to immunise their child, more
children will become susceptible to the diseases and the chances of an outbreak occurring increases. It is
strongly recommended by the Department of Health that all children must be vaccinated against Measles, Rubella
and Mumps. Separate MMR vaccines are therefore offered as an alternative to those parents whose children may
otherwise go unvaccinated.
What
are the disadvantages of giving the vaccines
separately? The DoH have several concerns about the giving
the MMR as separate vaccines, a course of action
of which they strongly disapprove:
There will be periods when your child will
be unprotected against one or more of the
illnesses whilst waiting to have the next
vaccine
The
single vaccine route requires your child to
have more injections.
The DoH are concerned that you may not bring
your child back to have all the vaccines
Are
the single vaccines as effective as the MMR? Individually, they are at least as effective
as the MMR. However, your child will not be protected
against all three illnesses at the same time
with the single vaccines.
Do
the three separate vaccines contain the same
strength as the MMR? They contain the identical or equivalent
strength of vaccine.
Which
vaccine do you recommend my child has first? Measles, because this illness poses more
of a risk to your child than mumps or rubella.
We then recommend rubella as the next immunisation.
Mumps is given last of all. This is because we
like to leave as much time between the measles
and mumps vaccinations as possible.
However if they is an outbreak in your area, for example of Mumps, we can review which vaccine to administer first.
How
long do you recommend between the vaccines? We recommend a minimum of six weeks between
each immunisation. However some clinics recommend
longer, even up to six months. There are no hard
and fast rules to this, but we happy to go with
your preferences on this matter
as long as there is a minimum of six weeks.
Is it necessary for my child to have all three vaccines? In order to conform with the DoH policy, we strongly advise parents who choose the separate MMR vaccine programme to finish the course of all three vaccines of Measles, Rubella and Mumps.
What happens if my child has received another vaccine; can he/she still be vaccinated at e-med? If your child receives another vaccine, such as a HIB/DTP booster, or any travel vaccines, allow 6 weeks minimum before vaccination with the separate MMR vaccines.
What
strains do your vaccine contain? The vaccines we currently offer contain the
following strains. However, please bear in mind
that these may change from time to time because
of supply problems. We would never use any vaccine
that we did not feel was one of the safest and
most effective available.
Measles: Schwartz strain
Mumps: Jeryl Lynn strain
Rubella: RA 27/3 strain
Can I make a booking online for all three vaccines in advance? We strongly recommend that you book as you go along, i.e. one at a time, since children are unpredictable, and can get ill before their first appointment. This will cause the appointment to be cancelled in most cases, resulting in subsequent appointments also having to be cancelled. Once the child has the vaccine, you are then free to book the next one, either online or by giving us a call on 0207 078 3828.
I'm still undecided. Where can I get more information to help me choose which route I'd like my child to have? We suggest you have a look at www.jabs.org.uk which gives you the latest news, research and cases surrounding the combined jab.
What
if my child has an egg allergy?
It is recommended that your child still has the vaccines.
If the allergy is mild, i.e a rash occurs with egg protein,
then we can give the vaccine at our base.
However if the allergy is worse than that, i.e shortness
of breath, wheezing then it must be given where there is
a Paediatric ICU. We suggest you try an NHS unit and are
happy to let you have all 3 vaccines to take there.
My
child is healthy. What would the clinical reason
be to order the single vaccines for my child? If, after appropriate counselling, you refuse
to allow your child to be given the MMR vaccine,
then your child is at risk of contracting measles,
mumps and rubella. The only way to protect your
child in these circumstances is to give him or
her the single vaccines. This is the clinical
indication.
What
is the minimum age my child can be given one
of the single vaccines? They can be given at any time from 12 months,
but it may be preferable to wait until 14-15
months by which time the body's immune response
should have reached a maximum.
What
if my child is ill before the day of the vaccination? If your child has a raised temperature (above
38.5C) and other symptoms of sickness (e.g. productive
cough, diarrhoea, vomiting) we suggest you cancel
the appointment. However if your child just has
only a mildly raised temperature then keep the
appointment. Give them Calpol before they come
in.
Also, if your child has any sort of infection, where viral or bacterial, or taking any antibiotics, we suggest that you cancel the appoitment for about a month. If you are unsure for any reason, please call 0207 078 3828, where you will be put through to the nurse who will advise you accordingly.
What
if my child was a premature baby? If your child was born before 36 weeks gestation,
then please add a month's wait to the scheduled
time of their first measles vaccination.
Add more time if your child was born even more prematurely.
What
if there is an outbreak at my child's school? If there is an outbreak of measles, mumps
or rubella in your child's community, and your
child has not had the relevant vaccination yet,
please contact us as we will prioritise your
child for the appropriate vaccination.
Your
child's Red Book so that we may enter information
on the Immunisations Page.
Change
for the hospital car park
A
favourite toy in case you have to wait
A
treat for your child as a reward after the
vaccination
What
happens?
On
arrival please tell Outpatients reception
that you are here.
You
will be brought through to see the nurse
who will do the vaccination.
The
vaccine is injected into your child's thigh,
so please make sure it has appropriate clothing.
The
vaccination is given very quickly and with
minimal fuss. The nurse will distract your
child with a lolly or a toy. In 80% of cases
the child will not even know that it has had
an injection.
A
plaster is applied if there is a drop of blood.
The
vaccine ID number will be written into your
Red Book and you will then be free to leave
and book your next appointment.
This
will all take between five and seven minutes
Please
be aware that a child will pick up on a parent's
anxiety. Please try to be as relaxed as possible,
as this will make it less painful for your
child.
NOTE: Consultation with a doctor is NOT included in e-med's vaccination program, but advice on your child's readiness for the vaccines can be obtained prior to your appointment by calling 0207 078 3828.
Will
my child require a booster? This is not normally necessary as the vaccines
are very (over 95%) effective. One option is
to have an antibody blood test to confirm that your child
is protected after the injections.
Also by doing the blood test, we will know which specific vaccine your child needs, and we will boost accordingly. We suggest
this is done two to three years after the initial vaccine course
has been completed. We can arrange this for you
as you may not be able to have this done on the
NHS through your GP. This is a private service that costs approx £95. You will need to have the results of this test interpreted by a doctor or nurse. Eg. Your NHS doctor or call the e-med nurse on 020 7078 3828.
My
child has had the MMR. It is now time for his
'booster'. Is he able to have the single vaccines? Yes, having the MMR once does not prevent
your child from receiving any or all of the single
vaccines, though your child may not need to have
them all again. It may be worth while having
a consultation to discuss this.
Will
I be able to travel after my child has been given
the vaccine? Yes. Unless your child shows immediate signs
of a bad reaction to the vaccine (which is extremely
unlikely) you will be allowed to leave shortly
after your child has received the immunisation.
Just carry your Calpol with you.
Is
there any way I can tell if my child is already
protected against measles, mumps or rubella,
either from previous immunisation or from natural
infection?
Yes, there is a blood test available to do this.
We can arrange this for you if you wish. Please
contact our lab on 020-7806 4000 x 4022 by
telephone to request a blood test.
What
can or can't my child do after the vaccination? As
side effects are rare, your child can do anything
it would normally do e.g. Swimming, going to
a party or school. If your child has been fractious
after the vaccination, then try giving Calpol
on your return home.
What
should I do if my child has been given the measles
vaccine previously by another doctor? This does not prevent your child from having
any of the other single vaccines.
My
child has had measles. Does he still need the
measles vaccines? The DoH still believes that your child should
be immunised (with the MMR) whether or not he
or she has had measles. This is partly because
the diagnosis may not have been correct. However,
if your child has definitely had measles, then
he or she has long term natural protection and
immunisation is unnecessary.
Is
it necessary for my son to be given the rubella
vaccine?
The DoH strongly recommends all children to be immunised against Measles, Mumps and Rubella to prevent an epidemic in the community. It is given primarily to boys to prevent them from catching rubella and passing it on to a pregnant woman. If she is not protected, this could cause serious damage to her unborn baby. If you wish to discuss this further, please book a standard consultation here.
Are you registered with the Healthcare Commission? Yes we are fully registered with the Healthcare Commission (formerly known as the National Care Standards Commission). Our registration number is G090000122 and, as per regulations, we undergo a thorough annual inspection.
Are doctors allowed to give the single vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella (German measles)? Yes, doctors are legally allowed to obtain and give these vaccines, provided they comply with the Department of Health regulations on unlicensed medicines. This is also checked during our annual Healthcare Commission inspection.
Then why do NHS doctors not offer them? Because doctors are under strong pressure from the Department of Health (DoH) to promote and give the combined MMR vaccine, in the same way as you are being encouraged to give it to your children. Most doctors believe that the combined vaccine is a better and safer option than the single vaccines for your child and the population at large
Are 'unlicenced' vaccines safe for my child? Yes. The word ‘unlicensed’ does not mean it is illegal. It means that the DoH have not renewed the licenses for these single vaccines to be manufactured in the UK, and is not used in the NHS. Separate MMR vaccines were used pre-MMR. All vaccines that e-med uses is MHRA approved as per DoH regulations, meaning that we are allowed to administer unlicenced vaccines legally in the UK as long as it passes through the MHRA regulating body.
Are
they 'licensed' for use in other countries? Yes, they are all licensed for use in other
countries including many major European countries
and/or the USA.
Who is liable if something goes wrong? We at e-med PMS remain responsible in the normal way for any advice or treatment that we offer. The pharmaceutical companies remain responsible for the quality of their product.
How will my GP know that my child has been immunised with the separate MMR vaccines? We can inform them on your behalf. Simply provide us with their details on your child's consent form.
Do
you keep a record of the batch number of the
vaccines? Yes, we keep a record of the batch number
of the vaccines in our own records. We also give
this information to you at the time of immunisation
by writing it in your child's Red Book.
What
happened at Elstree? We believe that the vaccines used there were
not properly stored and used beyond the recommended
time after dilution. We rigidly adhere to
all the vaccine manufacturers' guidelines on
the use of their vaccines.
