Children will reportedly be given extra injections to protect them against disease under a new plan the federal government is expected to adopt.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reports newborns face three instead of two needles to guard against the growing incidence of pneumococcal disease, which can lead to paralysis, blindness, deafness, arthritis and in some cases, death.

Babies will have an extra injection at each regular immunisation visit at two, four and six months.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has also recommended a vaccine against chicken pox be added to the list for babies, while the current oral vaccine for polio may be replaced by an injection.

Teenagers also will be advised to have whooping cough vaccinations under the changes.

The three new vaccines were expected to cost around $100 million a year, the paper said.

The recommendations are part of a new draft immunisation schedule which has been issued for public comment.

©AAP 2002