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NEWS: We have started offering Extended Hours appointments. These are for patients who find it difficult to attend an appointment during normal surgery hours. These will be late evenings every Monday and alternate Wednesdays. We are also offering prebookable Saturday morning surgeries once a month from 8.00-11.00

 

Church Street Practice, Mably Way, Wantage OX12 9BN

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     Immunisations                                                                         

Immunisation has caused dramatic improvements in health. Because of immunisation, diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles and polio which used to be major causes of ill health are now rare in many countries. Some immunisations are offered to all people through the childhood immunisation programme. Some are offered to 'at risk' groups. See the child and adult pages regarding specific schedules.

Immunisations work by allowing the body to produce antibodies to the inactive vaccine so that when we come into contact with the real infection our bodies can quickly attack and kill off the infecting organism before we show any symptoms.

For some bacteria and viruses it has been difficult to produce a vaccine, but technology is advancing and new vaccines will be available in the future.

A new-born baby has 'passive' immunity to several diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella, from antibodies passed from its mother via the placenta. This passive immunity of babies usually only lasts for a few weeks or months, but for measles, mumps and rubella it lasts up to one year. Immunisation with vaccines is called 'active' immunity and provides long-term immunity.