PARENTS will be allowed from next month to draw on their Medisave and Baby Bonus accounts to vaccinate their babies against a family of bacteria that attacks the brain, lungs, blood and ears.

The Government is adding the wholesale pearl jewelry pneumococcal vaccine to the childhood immunisation programme, putting its stamp on what it thinks is important for children to be protected against.

It arrived at the decision following a recommendation by its expert committee on immunisation, which decides on the jabs for the programme.

The committee found that in the silver pearl necklace United States, where most babies have been getting this protection since 2000, illnesses and deaths from serious pneumococcal disease have dropped by 75per cent.

Five other vaccines, such as those against diphtheria, polio and tuberculosis, are on the list. Four are free to Singapore babies at polyclinics, while the fifth vaccine, against HepatitisB, costs $37 for the three jabs, which can be paid out of Medisave.

The pneumococcal vaccine, which wheat pearl has been available since 2000, costs $510 for the recommended three shots at a polyclinic.