North West Health observe African Vaccination Week
African Vaccination or also Immunization Week is observed every year from 24 to 30 April, as an opportunity to address the importance of immunisation in saving lives and to encourage families to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases.
African Vaccination Week is an annual event celebrated during the last week of April in synchronization with the other WHO Regions and the World Immunization Week (WIW). It is led and coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and implemented by countries. The goal of the AVW is to strengthen immunization programmes in the African Region by increasing awareness of the importance of every person’s (particularly every child and woman) need and right to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
It aims at keeping immunization high on the national and regional agendas through advocacy and partnerships. It also promotes delivery of other high impact lifesaving interventions.
This year’s immunisation week is celebrated under the theme “Long life for all”.
Vaccines have saved millions of lives since 1796 when the first vaccines of Smallpox was developed until the latest vaccine for COVID-19 which is being administered across the world.
With the advent of COVID-19 which forced many countries to lockdowns thus minimizing movement of people from point A to B, many healthcare services got disrupted and immunisation was not spared. Many children missed out on their immunisation appointments at primary healthcare facilities due to movement restrictions.
Therefore the North West Department of Health is continuing to work hard in locating those children to update their immunisation record.
“We are still missing a lot of children who did not show up for their immunisation due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are calling on all parents and guardians to take their children and visit their nearest primary health facilities to re-enrol immunisation programmes as we accept that our teams on the ground cannot reach everybody at the same time” said MEC Madoda Sambatha.
“We are also urging parents to give consent to school vaccination programmes as and when children return home with a consent forms for vaccination “said Sambatha.
Vaccines help your immune system fight infections more efficiently by sparking your immune response to specific diseases. Then, if the virus or bacteria ever invades your body in the future, your immune system will already know how to fight it.
Vaccination usually begins when a child is six weeks old. Since several of the diseases vaccinated against affect the youngest children the hardest, delays should be avoided. Booster doses are given when a child reaches school age.
Immunisations are given for free at your nearest clinic or community health centres.
For Media enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane,
Departmental Spokesperson
0674227763
tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
Motlalepula Lekoma,
Media Liaison Officer: MEC for Health
0820897117 or LekomaM@nwpg.gov.za
