BABIES and young toddlers are having to suffer extra jabs because of a vaccine shortage across Hampshire.

Nurses are being forced to give the vaccines DPT and Hib in separate doses because supplies of the ready-mixed vaccine are exhausted. It has also been revealed there is a shortage of pre-school booster jabs.

Previously, the combined inoculation was given at the age of two, three and four months, totalling three injections.

But now the separate jabs, together with the three new meningitis doses to be introduced next month, bring the total to nine jabs in three months.

GPs are advised to mix vaccines in their own surgeries to reduce the number of injections. But many are ignoring the recommendations.

And some five-years-olds have had pre-school boosters delayed by a few months until supplies are available.

One Southampton health professional, who declined to be named, said: "A lot of nurses and health visitors are unhappy with the way this is going.

"These babies are not pin cushions. This number of injections is distressing for them, even more stressful for the parents, and it affects us too. Obviously vaccines are very important and it's crucial that parents make sure their children are inoculated. But this shortage shouldn't happen and I think parents should be aware of the situation."

The shortage of the combined DPT (diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus) and Hib (haemophilis influenza B) vaccine is nationwide.

Dr Mike Barker, head of the Southampton and South West Hampshire Health Authority's communicable disease unit, said: "We don't yet know when the single vaccine is going to be available again.

"GPs can mix the two vaccines together in their surgeries. Some are obviously ignoring that advice for one reason or another, and I intend to write to them to remind them to mix the vaccines."

His colleague in the North and Mid-Hampshire Health Authority's communical disease unit Dr Linda Booth said: "It would be nice to be able to give combined injections and we hope the supply problem will soon be sorted out.

"Medically there is no problem, but with the new meningitis vaccination coming in we would prefer to give two injections on a single occasion rather than three.

"There is a delay with pre-school boosters at the moment, but provided supplies come in a few months there should not be a problem."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the delay was due to difficulties manufacturing the dual-chambered syringes used to administer the combined vaccine.

She was unable to say when the new stocks would be available.

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