Immunisation essential for your child’s health

Any soldier will tell you that, in order to ensure that your squad is prepared, you gather intelligence through reconnaissance missions before going into battle.

This is exactly how immunisation works. Immunisation is the reconnaissance mission that helps protect your body if it is ever faced with the enemy such as childhood illnesses like tuberculosis, meningitis or hepatitis B.

Immunising your children ensures that their immune systems are strong enough to cope when it encounters childhood diseases.

“The vaccine is in fact a tiny sample of the germs or bacteria that cause these infections, but it is so small that it helps to develop immunity,” explains Peter Jordan, Principal Officer of Fedhealth.

Essentially, it helps the body to become a better soldier, which is why keeping up to date with your child’s immunisations is not only one of the best things you can do for your child, but it is also essential to the health of your community as it takes only one soldier to weaken a squad.

“If a member of the community develops one of these infections, the rest of the community is at risk too,” says Peter.

“In addition to helping your child avoid high-risk diseases, immunisation also prevents an outbreak of those diseases.”

While having your child vaccinated is not prescribed by law, many schools request that your child’s vaccine schedule and immunisation records are up to date before admitting your child.

“The vaccine schedule ensures that your children are immunised as soon as their bodies are able to develop the expected resistance to the illness,” he says.

“If vaccines are missed or late, some can be caught up within the recommended time intervals while others cannot because the child is no longer at risk or the vaccine is not safe for older children.”

The immunisation schedule spans 12 years, and Peter says that with up to 15 immunisations due in the first year of life, it’s easy for busy parents to lose track.

The vaccines are provided free of charge at public clinics, while private clinics generally charge a consultation fee. With each immunisation, your healthcare professional will discuss the side effects, however slight fevers, drowsiness and pain at the site of the injection are common.

“Immunisation is an important part of disease prevention and it’s a powerful way to protect your child’s health,” says Peter. “It empowers parents to protect their children from an enemy they can’t see.”