How should you take precautions during African Vaccination Week?

Do you know that vaccination could prevent 2-3 million deaths per year?

Tanzania, here is the good news! The last two years have seen the highest number of vaccinations for children in Africa.

According to a WHO report, 29% of deaths of children under five years old in 2013 were vaccine-preventable. Countries such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot afford to provide the full range of childhood vaccinations.

What is African Vaccination Week?

Every person‘s right is to stay protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. This is the slogan of African Vaccination Week. It is an annual event celebrated during the last week of April. This year, it’s going to take place from 24th April to 30th April 2019 to help you stay protected from diseases.

Like every African nation, Tanzania wants to strengthen immunization programs in the country by increasing awareness and investing in quality vaccines.

Vaccinations should be kept on top of the list of national and regional agendas through advocacy and partnerships. It also promotes the delivery of other high impact lifesaving interventions.

What is vaccination?

Vaccination is the medical treatment to help prevent your sickness from an infectious disease. Vaccines contain a micro-organism in a killed state or proteins or toxins from the organism.

Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases. Widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of diseases such as polio, measles, and tetanus from much of the world.

The main goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about the critical importance of full immunization throughout life.

Why is vaccination important?

If you are an avid traveller and exposed to contaminated food or water in Africa, it is recommended that you are likely to develop hepatitis A. The infection might come from your favourite five-star hotel or a luxury resort.

Vaccination is a minor medical procedure that reduces the risk of contracting an unknown disease. If the disease is contagious, a vaccine can also reduce the risk of disease in patients with whom the vaccinated person comes into contact. Vaccination is credited with preventing more illness and death over the last few years than any other medical advance.

Vaccines can help limit the spread of antibiotic resistance. The global increase in disease caused by drug-resistant bacteria, due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics, is a major public health concern.

Many countries have introduced new vaccines over the last few years. The world has seen multiple outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and various other vaccine-preventable diseases. In order to survive, Tanzania must strengthen efforts to ensure that all people receive the lifesaving benefits of vaccines.

Vaccines bring a high return on investment (ROI). Some governments choose to subsidize the costs of vaccines, due to some of the high ROI values attributed to vaccinations. Although vaccinations usually induce long-term economic benefits, many governments struggle to pay the high short-term costs associated with labour and production. However, vaccines are the good substitutes of antibiotics. One of the important ways to reduce preventable illness and deaths is to make better use of existing vaccines or manufacture new vaccines.

With poverty reduction and universal health coverage, expanding access to immunization is vital, which is a fundamental strategy in achieving other health priorities, from controlling viral hepatitis to curbing antimicrobial resistance, and providing a platform for adolescent health and improving antenatal and newborn care.

How to stay protected this African Vaccination Week?

However, it’s important to note that vaccines alone cannot protect you. Your behaviour is what matters when it comes to ultimate safety.
WHO recommends that Africans and travellers around the world visiting Africa should be covered vaccinations for the following diseases –

• Cholera
• Dengue
• Diphtheria
• Filariasis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• HIV
• Malaria

If you don’t want to stay away from diseases and invest a large sum of money on medical expenses, it would be wise to stay safe and follow the proper medications.

• Paracetamol or aspirin
• Water purification tablets
• Self-diagnostic kit
• Bandages, gauze rolls and tape
• Adhesive tape
• Digital thermometer
• Antibacterial ointment for cuts and abrasions
• Antibiotics like Ciproxin
• Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen
• Anti-malaria pills
• Insect repellents
• Oral rehydration salts

Prevention is better than cure.

At RMC, we measure the quality and safety of vaccines keeping in mind the health of children and communities in Tanzania and across Africa. We believe that, for a strong and healthy body, daily immunization is a must.

To know more, talk to our expert.