There is a growing body of research that suggests the increasing number of vaccines given to babies may be contributing to the rapid rise in numbers of children developing allergy– and immune-related diseases such as asthma and diabetes.

Although doctors at the Department of Health have dismissed concerns about vaccine “overload”, reassuring parents that babies can cope with “thousands” of vaccines, there is some evidence that giving a combination of five or more vaccines in a single injection causes more side effects than by giving the vaccinations in smaller combinations, or separately.

At BabyJabs, we offer single vaccines where possible, along with small combination vaccines such as the 3-in-1 or 4-in-1. We also have a low aluminium 5-in-1 vaccine.

Research also suggests that the risk of a child developing asthma can be reduced by over half if vaccination is delayed until five months of age. Delaying vaccination may also reduce the risk of getting hay fever and eczema.

We believe that you should have more say as a parent about when to start vaccinating your baby.

Clinical studies show that slightly delaying when a child is vaccinated can be more effective. This is because the immature immune system of babies is unable to respond effectively to many vaccines. Vaccines given very early, in the first few months of life, produce weaker immune responses that are also shorter-lasting than that provided by vaccines given later.

Research has shown that a baby will produce between 10% and 71% more antibodies for every month a vaccine is delayed. The same research also found that “the concentration of maternal antibodies prior to the first vaccination was associated with reduced responses to booster doses for diphtheria, pertussis antigens, inactivated polio, and 5 of 10 (50%) serotypes of pneumococcus”. As a result, it concluded that delaying the age of first immunisation could give time for the maternal antibodies to wane, so the child’s own body could have a stronger immune response.

Aluminium is a common metal found in nature and is widely present in our air, food and water. When we consume something containing aluminium, some of it will pass through the digestive system and be eliminated in urine and faeces. Not all of the aluminium will be eliminated though; it can build up in the body.

Aluminium has been used in vaccines since the 1930s because it helps the body build a stronger immune response.

There is some research, however, that suggests – because children now receive so many vaccines – they’re experiencing an overload of aluminium that is contributing to illnesses of the central nervous system and auto-immune conditions later in life.

The overall aluminium load can be decreased by giving aluminium-free vaccines wherever possible, and the aluminium load on any single day can be reduced by giving no more than one aluminium-containing vaccine at any one time.

Whenever possible, we use vaccines containing no aluminium; when these are not available, we use vaccines containing the least aluminium.

The UK has the most concentrated immunisation schedule in the world. Many other countries do it differently, often preferring two, four and six months (as opposed to the two, three and four months used in the UK). The Scandinavian countries all give their primary course of vaccines at three, five and 12 months.

The NHS immunisation schedule is a “one size fits all” package that doesn’t have the flexibility to account for individual variation. For example, children with frequent recurrent ear infections respond very poorly to some standard immunisation schedules.

We take account of your child’s medical history and your family history when compiling an immunisation schedule to reflect their individual needs and give you peace of mind.