Jamaica observes Vaccination Week
ALTHOUGH Jamaica continues to enjoy strong immunisation coverage with its Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), which began in 1977, the Ministry of Health is appealing to people to ensure that their children are fully immunised for their age.
The appeal comes as the Ministry leads Jamaica’s observance of Vaccination Week in the Americas 2015 from April 25 – May 2, 2015 under the theme “Boost your power! Get vaccinated!” This is a call for people to ensure that children are fully immunised against vaccine preventable diseases.
The success of the EPI has seen vaccine coverage ranging from the high 80s to 90s in recent times. In 2014 Diphtheria, Pertussis or Whooping Cough and Tetanus (DPT) coverage was 91 per cent, Polio (OPV) was 93 per cent, Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib) – 91 per cent, Hepatitis B – 90 per cent, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) – 91 per cent, and Tuberculosis (BCG), 90 per cent.
The ministry says it plans to build on these gains and so, as part of the observance, will increase awareness of the importance of being appropriately immunised according to age.
Activities for Vaccination Week in the Americas 2015 include a church service to be held at the Boulevard Baptist Church on Sunday, April 26, 2015; the official launch on Monday, April 27, 2015 at the Maxfield Park Health Centre; a one-day National Sensitisation Workshop for Medical Officers of Health and Regional Technical Directors on May 1, 2015; and a National Sensitisation Session for education officers and development officers in the Ministry of Education and Early Childhood Commission on April 28 and 29, 2015.
The ministry says this is the twelfth year that Jamaica is observing Vaccination Week in the Americas. The first Vaccination Week in the Americas was launched in April 2003 as an initiative of ministers of health of the Andean Region to improve public awareness about immunisation and to improve vaccination coverage to prevent outbreaks.
Compulsory immunisation for children begins at birth and continues until six years old.
