The 13th Anniversary of Vaccination week in the Americas 2015 will be celebrated from April 25th – May 2nd under the slogan “Boost your power! Get vaccinated!”. Anguilla will join other countries in the Americas is bringing greater awareness to the need for maximum vaccination coverage for all residents. Activities will be done to raise population awareness regarding the importance of vaccination/immunization.
What is vaccination?
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (a vaccine) to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate sickness and death from infection. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases;[widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the restriction of diseases such as polio, measles, and tetanus from much of the world. Immunization: A process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination. This term is often used interchangeably with vaccination or inoculation.
Vaccines work best when most members of a community are vaccinated – the more people who are vaccinated, the lower the possible risk of anyone’s exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines boost the power of your immune system and fight off more than 20 different vaccine-preventable diseases.
Why immunize?
We encourage all our children and adults to be vaccinated against a number of diseases. We must continue to have high percentage of vaccination coverage as many infectious diseases have not been completed eliminated from the world. If we stop vaccinating, diseases that are almost unknown would stage a comeback. Before long we would see epidemics of diseases that are nearly under control today. More children would get sick and more would die.
Although we focus on vaccinating our children, we do not vaccinate just to protect our children. We also vaccinate to protect our grandchildren and their grandchildren. With one disease, like smallpox, was eradicated by effective vaccination this meant that our children don’t have to get smallpox shots anymore because the disease no longer exists. If we keep vaccinating now, parents in the future may be able to trust that diseases like polio would not infect, cripple, or kill children. Vaccinations are one of the best ways to put an end to the serious effects of certain diseases.
Many older adults in Anguilla will remember individuals who developed polio, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, and tetanus. These diseases can now be prevented by vaccination. Thanks to a vaccine, one of the most terrible diseases in history – smallpox – no longer exists outside the laboratory. Over the years vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and saved millions of lives. We cannot afford to have any of these diseases in Anguilla, hence the need for all to get vaccinated. Immunization schedules can be obtained from any clinic or family doctor.
Are Vaccines safe?
Vaccines are developed in accordance with the highest standards of safety. Years of testing are required by law before a vaccine is licensed and distributed. Once in use, vaccines are continually monitored for safety and efficacy. Vaccines used in Anguilla are safe and effective.
However, as with any medical procedure, vaccination has some risks as well as substantial, proven benefits. Individuals react differently to vaccines, and there is no way to absolutely predict the reaction of a specific individual to a particular vaccine. Some children might have a slight reaction following vaccination, such as a slight fever or some redness of the skin, but these are usually mild and not very serious.
Serious side effects following vaccination, such as severe allergic reaction, are very rare and doctors and clinic staff are trained to deal with them. Pay extra attention to your child for a few days after vaccination. If you see something that concerns you, call your child’s doctor.
Vaccination and Autism
There is no link between vaccines and autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is caused by differences in how the brain functions.
Some people have had concerns that ASD might be linked to the vaccines children receive, but studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing ASD.
Vaccination in Anguilla
Over the past years, health care providers in Anguilla have provide excellent service in providing safe and effective vaccines for residents of Anguilla, achieving vaccination coverage over ninety per cent for the entire island. This outstanding work must be complimented. So often some of our political aspirants and talk show hosts continue to denigrate our health care services and health care professionals, but we seldom hear them complement our health care professionals when they provide exceptional services sometimes under difficult and trying conditions. Many of our nurses some of whom are now deceased, such as Nurses V. Lloyd, B. Gumbs, L. Rogers. M Richardson. G. Christopher and many others must be remembered for their outstanding work especially in the field of vaccination/immunization.
Conclusion
Vaccines are weakened or killed pathogens that help your immune system fight diseases. Vaccines prepare your body to fight off disease when exposed to full strength pathogens in the future. Vaccines boost the power of your immune system and fight off more than 20 different vaccine-preventable disease. We must continue to provide optimum immunization so that Anguilla will be free from serious infective diseases today and in the future. If you are not vaccinated do so today. The theme for this year’s vaccination week is “Boost your power! Get vaccinated!”
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty two years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
