Pneumococcal vaccine and the new child vaccination schedule.

A vaccine to protect against pneumococcal infection is now offered to all UK infants as part of the primary immunisation schedule. This, together with modifications to the schedule for Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcal C vaccines, represents the latest changes to the routine childhood immunisation programme, which came into effect on 4 September. Helen Bedford and Laura Lane outline why the pneumococcal vaccine has been introduced and the other changes to the immunisation schedule.