Pneumonia and diarrhoea are worldwide public health issues and together account for about half the deaths in children below the age of five years. The Department of Health launched its nation wide campaign this week aimed at promoting National Immunisation Week to raise awareness around the importance of immunisation. The campaign coincides with the commencement of the national roll-out of the Rotarix Vaccine which is used in the prevention of diarrhoea among young children.
Rotarix is one of the two vaccines that were launched last year and will be implemented in the Western Cape in 2010. The other vaccination, Pneumococcal Conjugate (also known as Prevenar), was rolled out in the Western Cape in July 2009 to combat the spread of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants such as pneumonia, meningitis and bacteraemia. Six week old infants received their first dose of the Prevenar vaccine. These infants will receive a second dose at 14 weeks and a third and last dose at nine months.
The rotavirus infection, known to cause diarrhoea among children below the age of five years, can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and death. The introduction of these two vaccines is expected to significantly reduce child illnesses and deaths in the country and help assist towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to infant and child mortality.
In light of the coming 2010 FIFA World Cup, the global polio eradication initiative is considering revising travel advisories to include that travellers from polio-infected countries should produce proof of vaccination against polio.
Parents, care-givers and educators are requested to take full advantage of the vaccines to help reverse preventable deaths among children and infants.
More information on these vaccines is available at all public health facilities.
Enquiries:
Faiza Steyn
Cell: 082 801 6960
Issued by: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government
12 August 2009
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za/)
