Immunisation is one of the greatest medical achievements in human history, and has saved millions of lives in the 20th century.
Many serious childhood diseases are preventable by using vaccines routinely recommended for children. Since the introduction of these vaccines, rates of diseases such as polio, measles, hepatitis B, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and meningitis caused by haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) have declined by 90%.
According to the World Health Oorganisation (WHO), immunisation currently saves an estimated three (3) million lives per year worldwide. Pertussis vaccine saves over 600 000 lives. Diphtheria has almost disappeared in some major regions of the world. The Hib related infections in children are said to have almost disappeared in the United States within 10 years of immunisation. Hepatitis B immunisation has caused a significant drop in the incidence of hepatoceluller carcinoma (liver cancer).
Before immunisation, hundreds of thousands of children were infected and thousands died each year from these diseases.
Vaccination not only protects the individual but also curbs the spread of disease within the community (i.e. provides herd immunity). For vaccines to provide herd immunity, a certain percentage of individuals within a community need to be immunised.
If immunisation coverage drops for conditions like measles, outbreaks may occur. It is important to maintain a high level of immunisation coverage even when the condition is becoming rare. Failure to maintain measles immunisation coverage can
lead to re-emergence and outbreaks, as it happened in United States in 1989-1991. The measles epidemic was responsible for 55,000 cases and more than 120 deaths.
Immunisation is safe and getting safer and more effective, all the time as a result of medical research and ongoing review by medical scientists. Immunisation is given to keep people healthy. It should however be remembered that no drug is absolutely free of side effects. Similar to drugs, vaccines may also give side effects.
The number of vaccines recommended for Expanded Programme on Immunisation has increased; as a result children are now protected from more infectious diseases than before including Hepatitis B and Hib.
All vaccines used in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in South Africa (EPI-SA), are manufactured according to strict safety guidelines and are evaluated by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) to ensure efficacy, quality and safety before registration and approval for marketing. In addition, these vaccines meet WHO standards of quality, safety and efficacy.
Immunisation currently remains one of the most cost effective health interventions.
According to WHO every dollar spent on vaccine saves seven dollars in medical costs and 25 dollars in overall costs related to vaccine preventable diseases. Current estimates of direct medical costs and indirect (work loss) costs of hepatitis B related liver disease exceed $500 million annually. In South Africa terms this would mean that every R10 spent on vaccines saves R70 in medical costs and R250 in overall costs.
Immunisation provides the most important and effective means through which parents can protect their children against serious diseases. Children who have not been immunised are at high risk of becoming infected with serious diseases. A recent study showed that children who had not received the measles vaccine were 35 times more likely to get the disease. Without immunisation, the diseases we are now protected from will return in epidemic or pandemic proportions to kill many children. There are no effective alternatives to immunisation for protection against some serious and sometimes deadly infectious diseases.
DID YOU KNOW ……
Small pox was the first infectious disease to be globally eradicated by immunisation in 1980. WHO set a goal to eradicate Polio worldwide by 2005. In South Africa the last polio case due to the wild poliovirus was reported in 1989. The final countdown to a polio free South Africa was launched on 11 April 2002. All cases with sudden weakness or lameness of either arm or/and leg in children under the age of 15 years (not caused by injury) should be reported immediately to the nearest health care centre.
Vaccines are free of charge at public local clinics and community health centres of South Africa. NB. Immunisation is one of the health care components. All children have a right to basic health care. The government of South Africa currently devotes more than R80 million per year on vaccines. Only when a disease has been completely eradicated worldwide can immunisation be discontinued safely. The first week of August has been declared the National Immunisation Awareness Week in South Africa.
Issued by: Sub-Directorate: EPI-SA
National EPI Manager
Dr Ntombenhle Ngcobo
Social Mobilisation Manager
Ms Blantina Mabuela
Tel: 012 312 0099/ 0111
Fax: 012 312 3110