 |
| Only babies born on or after May 1 2015 are currently eligible for a free MenB vaccination |
Q MY daughter was born on April 15 this year – 15 days too soon to qualify for the MenB vaccine.
Will the NHS be offering a catch-up service for these older babies or is there a safe way to get hold of this vaccine?
I have details of a private practice offering the MenB jab but was concerned the doctor giving the treatment only had an MRCP qualification.
What should I do?
A THE MenB vaccine gives protection against infection with the B strain of meningococcus bacteria which can cause meningitis and septicaemia.
A dose is given at two months and four months and a booster at 12 months.
The vaccine has only just been introduced into the routine immunisation programme and unfortunately the only children who are currently eligible to have the vaccine free on the NHS are those babies born on or after May 1 2015.
This means that if you want to protect your baby you will have to pay privately.
I know this seems very unfair and although no formal reason has been given for this, I am sure it has a lot to do with cost.
At private clinics the cost ranges between £95 and £160 a dose, so it is worth shopping around.
MRCP is the abbreviation for a Member of the Royal College of Physicians and to get this a doctor has to pass a postgraduate exam, so there is no need to be concerned about the doctor you were recommended.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q FOR the last month or so I have suffered a terrible itch on my private parts.
I am too embarrassed to see my female GP.
Can you advise me?
I am 88.
A THERE are various causes for this, including eczema and thrush, so you ought to see your GP.
She will be seeing male private parts every day and will do all she can to put you at ease.
You can ask if there is a male doctor you could see.
If not, you can ask for a chaperone to be in the room at the same time.
 |
| Palpitations are feeling the sensations of a beating heart, usually faster than normal |
Q OVER the past five years I have experienced palpitations followed by a rapid heartbeat.
My blood pressure medication has been changed or increased as a result and I was once booked in to have a pacemaker fitted but the operation was cancelled.
I did long-distance running for around 40 years and I wonder if there may be some connection between this and the irregular heartbeats that I sometimes experience?
A Palpitations are a sensation of the heart beating, usually faster than normal.
It’s normal to feel them after taking heavy exercise or when you are nervous or anxious.
 |
| Alcohol or caffeine can trigger palpitations |
They can also be triggered by drinking a lot of caffeine and alcohol.
Less commonly they are caused by a fault in the electrical pathway within the heart that governs the pulse rate.
If this happens persistently then, depending on the exact type of fault, it can be controlled either with medication or by the insertion of a pacemaker.
I very much doubt that your long-distance running has anything to do with this.
In fact, if anything, all that exercise would have helped to keep your heart healthy.
If you have a health question for Dr Rosemary please write to her in confidence at The Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN or email health@newsnewsblog; Dr Rosemary’s reply will appear in this column.
She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence and that, due to the volume of letters, she cannot reply to everyone.
Find out more about Dr Rosemary at drrosemaryleonard.co.uk
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus