|
Joburg's health department has kicked off its second round of polio and
measles immunisations, with hundreds of children vaccinated at one inner city
clinic alone.
It's not so bad: getting the polio drops from City health officials
H
UNDREDS of babies and toddlers, many tearful and clutching their caregivers,
lined up at the Joubert Park Clinic to receive polio drops and measles
vaccinations on Tuesday, 24 July.
The inoculations are part of the second round of a polio and measles
immunisation programme by the City's department of health – in turn part of a
national Department of Health campaign – running from Monday, 23 July to Friday, 3 August.
It is designed to immunise all children under the age of five against the
diseases. The first round was in May. To boost children's immunity to polio and
measles, drops and vaccines need to be administered twice. Over 90 percent of
children under the age of five require two doses to build up resistance to the
diseases, according to the World Health Organisation.
The clinic nurses were helpful; beaming all the time, they gave each child a
dose of the oral polio drops and a measles vaccination. The children's
fingernails were marked, "so that when they are visited by environmental health
practitioners (EHPs) at crèches or schools, they can be easily identified" as
having been vaccinated, explained Connie Ramela, the operational manager for
HIV/Aids at the clinic.
Meeting the target
Ramela said the nurses were making a concerted
effort to reach the City's target of 100 percent inoculation by the end of the
week. "We are a collective so we have to work together to help all children who
come for immunisation."
Two-year-old Lethukuthula Koza had her first inoculations in May, and didn't
seem uneasy when she was given her second dose – unlike many other children.
Smiling brightly and huddled in a thick blanket, she was accompanied by her
grandmother and older sister.
Noticing this, Ramela said, "It is good to see that Lethukuthula has been
brought to get the second drop [and vaccination], which means she has completed
and won't require additional polio drops or measles vaccines."
More than 700 children had already received their second immunisations at
Joubert Park Clinic by Tuesday, and the clinic was expecting more through the
week.
However, Ramela said the clinic would not only concentrate on polio and
measles immunisations, but also on other health issues. She was alluding to an
instance when a young mother had brought in her infant for the immunisations,
but the nurses noticed that the baby had skin sores. "So we have to help with
that as well," she noted.
Most of the children being inoculated at the clinic are under five years old;
environmental health practitioners will visit schools and crèches to make sure
that older children get their second vaccinations.
According to Nkosinathi Nkabinde, the department's communications officer,
polio immunisation is a key intervention towards achieving the global
eradication of the disease.
During the first round of the campaign in May, almost 346 000 children living
in Joburg were immunised. This prompted the second round of inoculations.
Antonia Barnard, the City's public health assistant director, urged parents
to take their children to their nearest clinics to receive the measles
vaccination and the polio drops. "Rather be safe and have your children
protected."
Related stories:
|
