CMO underscores importance of vaccines
IT’S VACCINE week and Barbadians are being encouraged to ensure that their vaccine records are up to date.
This advice comes from Chief Medical Officer (Ag) Dr. Kenneth George while speaking to Barbados Advocate on the importance of vaccinations, particularly against the backdrop of the reemergence of measles, which is wreaking havoc in some countries and leaving a worrying death toll in its wake.
Over the weekend, public health nurses have been in the field for a week of awareness that started on Saturday April 21 and will conclude on Saturday April 28 as they mount outreach programmes aimed at encouraging Barbadians to ensure that they are immunised against vaccine-preventable diseases.
As they observe Vaccination Week 2018, particular focus is being placed on the importance of the MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccine because of an increase in the confirmed cases of measles internationally.
Dr. George lamented that while measles had been eradicated in this part of the region for some years, there have been some erroneous pronouncements that have been made that have changed the opinions of a small section of the population of Barbados.
He explained that with measles, the majority of people get over this disease; however some people are not as lucky. “You can ask the older generation and they can tell you they had measles. However in a small percentage of cases it can be associated with pulmonary disease which is bronchopneumonia and central nervous system inflammation. Those two can be quite deadly.”
According to Dr. George, “We see this happening in Europe, Canada and in some parts of the United States where there has been an outbreak of measles with deaths. I am therefore encouraging persons to visit their pediatrician or to come to the polyclinic and to make sure that their vaccine information is up to date.”
Describing vaccines as the “most revolutionary public invention of our time” Dr. George says that it is important that the Ministry of Health constantly engages the public on the importance of vaccines.
“Remember that the Ministry of Health gives comprehensive vaccines. We have a Vaccine Centre which is certified at the Winston Scott Polyclinic where we give not only the routine vaccine but vaccines that are required for travel to certain countries. For example there was a yellow fever outbreak in South America. So that persons who are travelling to certain parts of South America would call Winston Scott polyclinic and they would indicate if you are required to have the vaccine for entering that particular area.”
“Prevention is better than cure and we would ask you to call your Winston Scott or call your polyclinic to see if you are travelling that area is endemic for a particular disease.”
He explained that measles is consistently a childhood disease and while it has been eradicated measles in this region for years it might not be recognisable to some health professionals. “….We have a generation of doctors who may not even be able to recognise the clinical features of measles. We have surveillance protocols that identify any rash with a fever. All rash with a fever going to our polyclinics must be reported,” he explained.
According to the Government Information Service, open days to facilitate vaccinations are also planned at polyclinics during the week. These include the Branford Taitt Polyclinic on Tuesday, April 24; the St. Philip Polyclinic on Wednesday, April 25, and the Edgar Cochrane and Glebe Polyclinics on Friday, April 27.
Additionally, public health nurses will visit day nurseries as well as hotels in their catchment areas to screen for MMR vaccine defaulters and to schedule vaccinations. The focus on hotel workers is primarily because of the high risk of exposure to visitors who may be arriving from countries where outbreaks have been identified.
Countries currently being affected by an increased number of confirmed cases of measles include Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada. (JH)