Know the importance of immunisation

Throughout history, immunisation has helped protect millions of children against infectious and life-threatening diseases.

Immunisation helps to strengthen your child’s immune system to fight diseases like polio, measles, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tuberculosis (TB) and meningitis.

Vaccines have been so effective that some diseases once feared are now easily manageable.

Vaccinations protect the child and help protect the rest of society.

Vaccines work because they create “herd immunity”. It means that when enough people have protection against a disease, its spread is slowed or stopped.

It saves people who don’t have access to or can’t get vaccines, like babies, people with specific health problems and those allergic to the vaccine ingredients.

Are vaccines safe for children?
Vaccines undergo many clinical trials and tests to ensure they are safe and work well before use. Clinical trials test the safety and usefulness of vaccines. Thousands of people take part in these trials.

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting method (VAERS) also tracks vaccine safety even after approval. VAERS compiles reports of adverse effects after getting a vaccine to monitor how safe vaccines are and find any possible safety concerns.

Just like any other medical treatment, vaccines can have side effects, but severe side effects from vaccines are rare.

Almost all sickness or discomfort after vaccination is minor and temporary. For a short period after being vaccinated, your child might experience soreness in the vaccinated area and a fever or a slight rash.

You can often control these by taking over-the-counter pain medication as a healthcare provider advises or applying a cold cloth to the vaccination area.

Many parents worry that multiple vaccines will overload their child’s immune system, and their baby might be unable to handle all the vaccines.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, there is no reason to worry; children are exposed to hundreds of germs daily, and a common cold can significantly threaten your child’s immune system more than vaccines. If parents are concerned about anything, they should contact their healthcare provider.

Know your child’s immunisation schedule
Vaccines are the most effective when given to children at the right age and dosage because they are most susceptible to certain diseases at certain ages. For example, polio occurs most frequently in children younger than five.

Because of this, polio vaccines are given to children of those ages to prevent harm caused by the disease.

A child who is unvaccinated or not vaccinated on time remains unprotected and has an increased chance of getting seriously ill. You can check the Department of Health website or talk to your child’s doctor to determine the best vaccines.

To view the South African Child Vaccination Schedule, go to www.health.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/epi-schedule.pdf

In SA, every newborn baby should receive the free Road To Health booklet that gives parents and caregivers crucial information about their child’s health and a schedule to help keep track of routine clinic visits for check-ups and immunisation.

If you do not have your child’s Road To Health booklet, you can collect one for free at any health facility in SA.

The costs of getting your child vaccinated
The costs of vaccinating a child in SA without medical aid can vary depending on the type of vaccine and where it will be administered.

There is a government-run vaccination programme – the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) – that provides certain vaccines for free to children under the age of one year. Those vaccines include BCG (tuberculosis), hepatitis B, polio (oral polio vaccine), diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).

However, other vaccines are not covered by the EPI, such as the rotavirus vaccine, the meningococcal vaccine and the HPV vaccine.

One can get those through private healthcare providers or clinics at varying costs.

Information: Medshield

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