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The 4-in-1 vaccine (also known as the dTaP/IPV vaccine) helps protect against four serious diseases: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio.
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Vaccination is one of the best ways to protect your child from serious illnesses. The 4-in-1 vaccine helps protect against:
diphtheria
tetanus
pertussis (whooping cough), and
polio.
Before vaccines, many children in the UK caught these diseases every year. Vaccination has reduced these cases and saved many lives.
The 4-in-1 vaccine (also known as the dTaP/IPV vaccine) boosts the protection from the 6-in-1 vaccines they had as babies (which included protection against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B).
Since the protection from baby vaccinations can fade over time, it is important for your child to get their 4-in-1 vaccine.
The 4-in-1 vaccine helps keep children safe and helps protect communities from these diseases and the serious health complications they can cause.
Diphtheria is a serious disease that usually begins with a sore throat and a raised temperature (fever). It can quickly lead to breathing problems and may damage the heart and nerves. In severe cases, it may cause death. Diphtheria spreads by coughs and sneezes or close contact with an infected person.
Diphtheria is rare in the UK. However, it is possible to catch it while travelling to other countries.
Before the diphtheria vaccine was introduced to the UK, there were up to 70,000 cases of diphtheria and up to 5,000 deaths a year.
A thick grey-white coating that may cover the back of your throat, nose and tongue
A high temperature (fever)
Sore throat
Swollen glands in your neck
Difficulty breathing and swallowing
In some countries, infection of the skin (cutaneous diphtheria) is more common.
Cutaneous diphtheria can cause:
pus-filled blisters on your legs, feet and hands, and
large ulcers surrounded by red, sore-looking skin.
Tetanus is a disease that affects the body’s nerves, causing muscle spasms and breathing problems. It is a severe disease that can lead to serious health problems if not treated quickly. It’s caused by germs found in soil or manure that enter the body through open cuts or burns. Tetanus cannot spread from person to person.
Stiffness in your jaw muscles (lockjaw), which can make it difficult to open your mouth
Painful muscle spasms, which can make it difficult to breathe and swallow
A high temperature
Sweating
A rapid heartbeat
Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is an infection that affects the lungs and airways. Symptoms tend to develop in stages, starting with mild cold-like symptoms. These can be followed by more severe symptoms before an improvement. Whooping cough spreads easily by breathing in tiny droplets that are released into the air when people with the disease cough or sneeze.
Whooping cough can cause long bursts of coughing and choking, which make it hard to breathe. The ‘whoop’ noise is caused by gasping for breath after each period of coughing. Young babies don’t always do this, which can make it difficult to recognise the disease.
Symptoms of whooping cough can last for two to three months. Babies under the age of one are at the greatest risk of serious illness and are at risk of dying from the disease.
Before the whooping cough vaccine was introduced, the average number of suspected cases reported each year in the UK was 120,000. In the year before the vaccine was introduced, 92 children died.
The first signs of whooping cough are like the symptoms of a cold.
After about a week, you will notice:
coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
a "whoop" sound, as if you’re gasping for breath between coughs (young babies and adults may not "whoop"), or
thick mucus, which may cause sickness (vomiting).
Polio is a virus that can affect your nerves. It can cause permanent muscle weakness, usually in the legs. If polio affects the chest muscles or the brain, it can lead to very serious health problems.
You can catch polio if you come into contact with the poo of someone who is infected, or by breathing in droplets from their coughs or sneezes. In 1988, polio paralysed more than 1000 children worldwide every day.
Before the polio vaccine was introduced, there were as many as 8,000 cases of polio in the UK. Thanks to the polio vaccination's ongoing success, the UK hasn't seen a natural polio infection in over 40 years. The last case was reported in 1984. This is why it is important to vaccinate to stop diseases such as polio from coming back.
Most people will have no symptoms.
Some people get mild, flu-like symptoms, such as:
a high temperature
extreme tiredness (fatigue)
headaches
being sick (vomiting)
a stiff neck, and
muscle pain.
Rarely, polio can lead to more serious symptoms that affect the brain and nerves, such as weakness in your muscles (paralysis), usually in the legs. This can happen over hours or days.
If the paralysis affects the muscles used for breathing, it can be life threatening.
Most people will recover and movement will slowly come back over the next few weeks. Some people can be left with a permanent disability.
If you would like to learn more about the vaccine or the diseases it protects against, a number of information resources are available to help. You can also call NHS 111 or your GP practice for advice if you have any questions.