The World Health Organisation (WHO) calculates that immunisations prevent between four to five million deaths around the world. Currently global immunisation coverage for children has dropped to 81%, as the COVID-19 pandemic and associated disruptions put strain on our health systems. As a result of this, 25 million children missed out on vaccination in 2021, which is 5.9 million more than in 2019 and the highest number since 2009.
This is worrying because vaccinations have eliminated many life-threatening diseases and are behind the near eradication of others. In India for example, cases of polio have virtually ceased to exist – whereas previously in the country the disease took a devastating number of lives and caused many people to become paralysed.
According to the South African Journal of Infectious Diseases, immunisations have taken control of a number of threatening diseases in our country too, including eliminating the wild polio virus, maternal and neonatal tetanus, and drastically reducing cases of measles.
If you’re concerned about immunising your child, here are five common myths, debunked:
It’s expensive. In comparison to the cost of treating a child who’s infected with a serious disease, the cost of vaccinating children is minimal. It’s a vital investment in your family’s long-term health, so check with your medical aid what their screening benefit offers you, so you can get help taking care of your child’s immunisation health. If you are with Fedhealth, you can view their screening benefits here.
It’s painful/unsafe. While injections may lead to tenderness of the area, and crying from younger babies, the benefits of vaccines far outweigh this short-term discomfort. And although allergic reactions are possible, they’re the extreme exception. Vaccines only get approved from governing bodies after rigorous testing to ensure they are completely safe.
Natural immunity is strong enough to protect us. Although we wish we were all superhuman and never got sick, this simply isn’t the case. You and your child can live very healthy lives and still fall very ill, and many diseases can be life-threatening. One of the key reasons our populations are not falling ill so often these days is that vaccines have been developed and administered, and these vaccines save lives.
Good hygiene can replace vaccines: Unfortunately, this is not the case – no matter how hygienic we are and how often we wash our hands, this will not stop the spread of many infections. If people are not vaccinated, many diseases that have become uncommon, such as polio and measles, will start to reappear more frequently.
I only need to be vaccinated if I’m taking a trip. While some countries you’re travelling to require special vaccinations before you enter (yellow fever in many parts of South America for example), there are many diseases you or your child can catch at home. That’s why you should follow the childhood vaccination schedule as advised by your healthcare worker.
When it comes to our kids, vaccines safeguard your child’s health by protecting them against many harmful and potentially life-threatening diseases. While no vaccine is fool proof, the risk that your child will contract a disease after being immunised is far lower, which means it can give you much peace of mind as a parent.
