Story by Patience Nyagato
AS Zimbabwe joins the global community in commemorating World Immunisation Week, raising awareness on the importance of vaccination has taken centre stage in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The spotlight has fallen on diseases such as polio, measles, and yellow fever, which continue to pose significant health risks. This became apparent as parents gathered at an immunisation outreach event in Chitungwiza this Monday.
“I am here to get my child vaccinated, I know if he gets a shot he will be protected from these diseases,” a parent said.
“I think this is important and we thank the government for giving us the vaccines for free. I advise all mothers out there to come with their children regardless of religion so that we protect our kids,” another parent added.
Diseases including polio, yellow fever and measles can be lethal and usually cause severe complications, long-term disabilities, or even death to unvaccinated persons, hence the need to raise awareness on the importance of immunisation.
“So this week we are just commemorating the African vaccination week where we remind our mothers that they should come for immunisations, they should come for growth monitoring and they have just responded.
“The response has been positive, even though it is only Monday, and these are routine immunisations. We schedule follow-up visits for after the 28-day period. We educate mothers on how important for them to know their dates for immunisation or generally when to come for it,” said Mrs Sitembile Sando, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation Officer in Chitungwiza.
“We are strengthening our efforts to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases. We cover up to 30 diseases that are lethal if left untreated and very costly to treat. This week serves as a wake-up call for anyone who has missed their vaccinations and to raise community awareness about the importance of immunisation. A vaccinated community is a healthy community, and vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent these diseases,” said Mr Tonderai Chabata, the Seke North District Community Health Officer.
The government and its development partners continue to strengthen immunisation systems through primary health care in the country.
According to a Centre for Disease Control and Prevention report, about four million deaths worldwide are prevented by childhood vaccination every year.
