Toddlers to get jabs for six diseases at once

TODDLERS will be immunised against six diseases at once, the Scottish Government confirmed.

The chief medical officer has accepted advice that vaccinations should be simplified and will write to GPs. After their first birthday, children will have three injections during a single appointment, protecting them against measles, mumps, rubella, two types of meningitis and a form of pneumonia.

A government spokeswoman said: "Scotland has a very successful childhood immunisation programme, with the uptake of almost all vaccinations being at or above 95 per cent. We base our programme on expert advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation."

Experts say combining the vaccines should not pose any additional risk to children.