Quick guide to... Vaccinations

• The government is looking to reduce the number of times parents have to take their toddlers to GPs to be vaccinated against a range of diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). The chief medical, nursing and pharmaceutical officers have written to GPs advising them to combine vaccinations currently offered to children on two visits at the ages of 12 and 13 months.
• During the new single visit, three jabs covering six diseases will be given around the child's first birthday. These will be the MMR jab, which offers protection against measles, mumps and rubella; a booster injection to protect against meningitis C and the bacterial infection hib; and a booster injection to protect against pneumococcal infection
• The aim is to simplify the process for parents and ensure distress for children is minimised. Before their first birthday children will already have had seven injections covering earlier doses to protect against hib, pneumococcal and meningitis C as well as protection against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough
• The Department of Health has sought to give parents assurances about this latest change to a single visit. It says that the government's joint committee on vaccination and immunisation has already stated that three injections in one sitting is safe. Moreover, parents can still opt to spread the injections across two sittings if they have concerns that their child will be distressed.

78 child deaths a year before meningitis C immunisation was introduced

0 the number of children who died from meningitis C in 2007

10 days after being given the MMR jab some children may become feverish.