THE WORRY expressed by public health officials, as reported in yesterday's Gleaner, about a decline in the country's immunisation rates should spur the rest of the society to move urgently to reverse this trend.
For many years Jamaica has boasted one of the best infant/child immunisation records among developing countries, with polio, rubella and other diseases being well-contained or almost entirely eradicated. So it is more than a little disturbing to note that the country is now recording rates of below 60 per cent immunisation in some cases.
Several contributing factors were cited. Quite apart from a cutback by public health officials in regular or annual visits to schools to ascertain whether students had been immunised or to provide booster shots, there are the social factors plaguing all sections of Jamaica. The results of the crime and violence that have rendered entire communities almost socially dysfunctional are now being manifested in this area.
With health workers being unable to reach clinics on a regular basis or with health facilities being opened for fewer hours, the negative impact is now showing up in the data. Other reasons cited for the decline in the rates are: schools enrolling children who have not been immunised; and complacency setting in among parents and guardians in the absence of any large-scale recent outbreaks of diseases locally.
The Ministry of Health has already indicated a plan to target 15,000 children under two years old in a "mop-up" campaign. Parents need to cooperate fully to see to the health of their
off-spring. The Ministry of Health must also step up its public
education campaigns stressing the importance of getting children vaccinated. It must also re-examine the policy of how children are immunised. Reliance on parents being responsible is clearly not as effective as was expected or desired. The fact is the school system
provides a more manageable environment of monitoring the status of children. So there will have to be greater synergies and cooperation between the ministries of Education and Health to better monitor how compliant schools are with the national immunisation thrust.
While administrative costs have to be considered, we simply cannot afford to allow this situation to deteriorate further. The health of the entire society demands this.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
