Should you vaccinate your child?

Hello Dr. Dulcy,

It’s time to vaccinate my child, but some people are saying vaccinations are bad for them, what’s your opinion on this?

There are many reasons why it is important to vaccinate your child. You not only protect them from contracting infections and illnesses, but you also prevent them from spreading those to other children. Some of these illnesses can even lead to disability and impairment, and in severe conditions can lead to death.

Immunisation has been shown to save millions of lives a year. Some people are concerned about the side effects of certain vaccines, but these are very rare and are not life-threatening. Before your child is vaccinated, a full history and examination is conducted. This is to exclude conditions that may make it risky for your child to be vaccinated.

The effects of not vaccinating and then contracting a life-threatening condition are what a parent should worry about more – the possibility of your child losing sight, hearing ability, being disabled and even brain-damaged.

Have a health-related question? As parents, sometimes we need a simple answer to a simple question. Dr Dulcy, who holds an MBBCH degree from Wits University, a diploma in occupational health, a diploma in HIV management, travel medicine diploma, masters of science in sports medicine, and a masters in business administration degree from GIBS, is here to help!

Dr Dulcy will join the Citizen’s Parenty team every second Tuesday and you can ask health-related questions about your kids and about yourself. To get your questions answered, email editors@parenty.co.za, or leave a comment on our Facebook page.*

Dr Dulcy is a social entrepreneur with a passion for providing healthcare and wellness solutions for low and middle-income communities in South Africa. As the 2016 Social Entrepreneurship Regional Business Achiever award winner for Business Women’s Association, she started Accessible Quality Healthservices (AQH) in 2013 after being a general practitioner in Vryburg then Carletonville for 11 years.

In 2015, she partnered with Pascal Frohlicher and we founded U-Care Medical Centres, which focused on building private medical centres and providing world-class health services at an affordable cost. This company evolved in 2019 to become Quadcare, which is a network of medical centres in areas where they are needed the most providing access to affordable healthcare. Currently, the centres are in Edenvale, Fox Street Johannesburg, Meadowlands, Carletonville, University of Johannesburg, and Park Station.

Dr Dulcy said her life’s purpose was to make an impact on how healthcare was delivered in this country, especially to the poor.

*Always consult your paediatrician, gynaecologist or health-care provider for all health matters relating to you and your children.

If you found this article useful or interesting, why not subscribe to Parenty’s weekly newsletter for a wrap up of that week’s best content.