National clinic manager shares her thoughts on vaccination

Do we or don’t we? Should we or shouldn’t we? Now more than ever, people the world over are talking about vaccinations, and while these conversations tend to focus on the Covid-19 vaccine, we should not forget the critical role of other vaccinations in general healthcare.

Lizeth Kruger, Dis-Chem’s national clinic manager writes:

‘Vaccines bring us closer’ is this year’s theme for Global Immunisation Week, aimed at promoting engagement about vaccinations and their role in improving the health and well-being of the population – no matter age, status, or place of residence. Since the first recorded vaccine in 1798, the landscape of human health and medicine has been significantly altered.

The impact of vaccines has ranged from the eradication of polio and smallpox to the prevention of whooping cough, yellow fever, tuberculosis, and measles. The current pandemic has given us a taste of what it’s like to live without the protection afforded by vaccines and our world would be an unimaginable one if we were not shielded from the numerous diseases that wreaked havoc on communities.

Many of these vaccines are administered as a child, with annual flu vaccines being administered on a yearly basis, most of the time to people who are at high risk such as the elderly.

Global Immunisation Week

Global Immunisation Week takes place during the last week of every April, and with the world focusing on Covid-19 and its vaccination, and attention shifting away from the importance of routine vaccines, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is using this week to bring the focus back. It is placing emphasis on increasing and building people’s trust and confidence in vaccines, as well as calling for new partners to invest in breaking critical barriers that prevent parts of the population from receiving vaccines.

This is an important message as many children have not been vaccinated during the global pandemic, leaving them at risk of serious diseases like measles and polio. Rapidly circulating misinformation around vaccinations adds to this threat.

Vaccines – what’s the big deal?

For over 200 years the medical and science industry has been working on developing different vaccines to protect us against and put a stop to, deadly diseases. Summarised, a vaccine is developed using parts of certain pathogens, i.e. harmful bacteria or viruses, that is then injected into our bodies so that our immune systems can develop antibodies to fight the disease should we develop (become exposed to) it.

Yes, we may develop certain symptoms of the disease once we have the vaccine, however, this is because of the way our bodies are built. Our immune systems are designed to attack any ‘invaders’ on our systems by generating antibodies, however, this does not happen straight away, giving the pathogen a chance to release certain symptoms.

However, this does not mean that a person develops the full-blown disease – this is our body’s way of protecting us and we don’t develop the full-blown disease.

Herd immunity

Not only do vaccines protect an individual from developing a disease, but it also protects our entire population. When the number of individuals who have had a certain vaccination reaches a critical number, herd immunity is developed. This means there are enough individuals vaccinated to protect the entire population from developing the specific said disease, whether they have been vaccinated or not.

Those who say no

‘Anti-vaxxers’ believe that vaccines will only bring about the disease in people rather than seeing vaccines as disease protection and prevention tool, and some believe they cause developmental issues in children. There is a belief that childhood vaccinations initiate the onset of autism, a neurological impairment known to impair social interaction and communication.

This school of thought comes from a discredited study that linked vaccines with the onset of autism, however, the study was later found to be fraudulent and the results invalid. Nevertheless, there are still many groups who strongly believe this to be true, and don’t vaccinate their children, putting their children at greater risk for developing these diseases. It is said that there are approximately 20 million children globally who have not been vaccinated against preventable childhood diseases.

In certain parts of the world, certain diseases are rare and therefore the need for these vaccinations is not seen to be a necessary cost. People in rural areas are also prevented from accessing vaccinations due to costs, which is why WHO is putting such a strong emphasis on getting enough funding to break these barriers.

The future of vaccines

With scientific advancements, the development and implementation of vaccines is fast advancing. There are clinical trials being run for vaccines against certain cancers, HIV, Aids, Alzheimer’s, and other fatal diseases. Stop for a minute to imagine a world without them.

Flu vaccines

Annual flu vaccines are a bit different in that different vaccines are developed yearly depending on the specific strain of flu. This is an optional vaccine that is generally administered to high-risk people who are more likely to have serious, if not fatal, reactions to the flu. This includes the elderly, those with asthma, and other life-threatening diseases such as cancer or HIV and Aids.

However, with the reality of Covid-19 being so rife in our communities, we implore consumers to have the annual flu vaccine to help develop a healthy immune system so that they can prevent, and fight, the disease properly. A small prick to the arm may seem unimportant, however, making sure that you and your children get the right vaccines, can be a matter of life or death for you and those around you.

Vaccines improve and continue to improve the health and well-being of everyone, everywhere throughout life so book a slot for your shot.