| Health for Kids |
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Children's Health Chidren are entitled to several check-ups through-out their development and the Health authority will give you details of what these are once you have registered. A paediatrician is assigned to your child at your local surgery or CAP when you first register with a doctor. Your child will be seen by a paediatrician until the age of 14. When you first visit with your baby, you will be supplied with a booklet to track your child's progress You should take this information with you to every appointment.
Vaccinations For information and a calender of vaccinations in Spain see: To get a better understanding of immunisation programmes you can visit the NHS site in the UK for detailed information on each of the vaccines at http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/article.php?id=97 or in similar information by US department of Health at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm In Barcelona, you will be sent a Vaccination record card for your child to your home address. The paediatrician will note on each visit which vaccination your child has received. Once the card is full you should send it by mail (your doctor can explain when). All recommended vaccinations are free.  At present, the the Pneumococcal Vaccination which is now standard in some countries (UK and US) is an option which you will need to pay for in Spain. Depending on when you begin the first vaccination (possibly at 2 months) your baby will need up to 4 doses.The cost of the vaccine is approx. €80. Ask at your CAP if they have the vaccine available or whether you will need to get a written prescription from the doctor and then order it yourself from the pharmacy. The vaccines are usually given on alternate months when your child is not due for the normal programmed jabs. Pneumococcal infection can cause a very serious form of meningitis and other respiratory diseases. Children under 2 years old are at most serious risk. Children between 2 and 4 may be vaccinated if they are considered to be in a high risk category. Please see this link for further information. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-PneumoConjugate.pdf The MMR vaccine, which is in some countries controversial, is usually administered around 14 months. There has been a recent drive in Barcelona to have this vaccination earlier (as soon as only 9 months) due to an outbreak of measles in the city. Measles remains a very harmful and potentially dangerous childhood illness. It is your choice when it comes to deciding when and whether to vaccinate your child although remember that you may have to prove certain vaccinations have been given before your child will be admitted to a nursery. When it comes to decisions over the right time to administer the MMR or whether to request non-standard vaccinations, make sure you are well-informed before your appointment with the doctor. A useful site that provides quick information on children's everday illnesses and injuries is http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/ |
