Get vaccinated!

Keeping yourself, your loved ones and your community healthy

Immunisation or vaccination affords effective protection against a range of illnesses.
South Africans are therefore encouraged to have themselves and their children immunised against those diseases for which there are effective vaccines available.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members - and future members - on a range of topics, we would like to provide you with some information on National Immunisation Awareness Week, which is being held this year from 2 August to 8 August 2010, as well as on some of the benefits of vaccination.

There are a number of vaccines available for various diseases such as measles, German measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio, flu and others, and they are usually very effective in preventing these diseases or at least making their symptoms much less severe.

Polio, a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that attacks people's nervous systems, was a major problem around the world until an effective vaccine was developed and a global vaccination programme implemented. So effective was the campaign that many thought that polio would be completely eliminated from the world. Unfortunately wars and political instability in some countries have disrupted certain vaccination programmes. In addition, some people mistakenly believe that vaccines are bad for one's health and have stopped having their children vaccinated. Developments such as these have allowed the disease to make a return and it is once again found in countries such as Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Polio has not been identified in South Africa since 1989, but authorities say that the disease must be closely monitored in order to ensure that it is not brought back into the country. Fortunately, polio was successfully kept out of South Africa following an outbreak in Namibia in 2006, which lead to the deaths of 19 people there. However, experts suggest that we should remain alert and they advise parents to have their children vaccinated.

The Government has recently held a large and highly successful polio and measles immunisation campaign. Such campaigns are ongoing and Government appeals to all parents to allow their children to be vaccinated during such drives. It furthermore invites parents of all children under five years of age that did not receive their vaccinations during the campaigns to bring their children to the nearest clinic or hospital for their shots. GEMS members may also wish to speak to their doctors regarding which vaccines they and their children should have.
 
"We want to urge parents to have their children vaccinated against polio and measles as it is very important not to leave children unprotected," said a recent media release from the Free State Department of Health. "They can get seriously sick with measles or even polio. They can also infect other people, their family members at home or the children at the crèche where they stay during the day."

It is best for whole families and communities to be protected from infectious diseases such as polio and measles. The more people that are immunised or who have a natural resistance to an infectious disease, the less likely each individual is to catch it because the illness will not be able to spread from person-to-person in the community.

Another disease that can be prevented with vaccination is measles. Until the last couple of years measles, like polio, seemed to be on the decline. However, there was a significant outbreak in South Africa and indeed on the sub-continent in 2009 and 2010. A total of 16 028 laboratory confirmed cases have been reported in the country since the beginning of 2009 until June 2010, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICS).

The outbreak shows that measles is far from being eradicated in South Africa. Some authorities blame parents for this, saying that certain parents believe that measles has been eradicated when in fact this is not the case. Other parents have heard that vaccines are unsafe or harmful for their children and refuse to allow them to have their shots. In fact vaccinations are very safe. As the media release points out:

"Both the measles and polio vaccine have been used in South Africa for more than 15 years. A few people may get a slight fever or rash seven to ten days after the measles injection is given. Serious side effects from the vaccines are very rare - a lot more rare than the serious side effects one can experience if you contract the diseases themselves."

"Measles is an infectious disease and it can be serious," continues the release. "It can cause blindness, hearing problems, brain damage, pneumonia and even death. If a person receives two doses of measles vaccine it helps to protect the body against the infection. There is still a very small possibility that the person can still get measles but in those cases they do not get so sick."

In South Africa, children are vaccinated against measles at nine months of age and again at 18 months, or at 15 months in combination with mumps and rubella (MMR), followed by a booster at five years.

Immunisation is the only way to protect one's self and one's family from diseases such polio, measles, German measles and mumps and is highly recommended for most children. Ask your doctor or nurse which jabs you and your family should receive.

If you have any more questions regarding immunisation you can phone the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and well-being.

Sources

‘The Disease and the Virus', Global Polio Eradication Initiative, www.polioeradication.org//disease.asp.
Communicable Diseases Communiqué, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), June 2010, Volume 9, No 6.
‘Measles campaign mop-up', South African Government Information, 15 June 2010, www.info.gov.za/speeches/2010/10061516551001.htm.