By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Aug. 14, GNA – Paediatric nurses at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema say the immunisation of children has contributed significantly to the reduction of childhood diseases in Ghana.
They, therefore, urged parents to ensure that their babies received all the 13 designated vaccinations from birth to 18 months and continue with the Vitamin A intake at six-month intervals until age five.
Ms Lilian Baafi Boateng and Mr Jacob Larkae, both paediatric nurses at IMaH, said this on the weekly health communication platform: “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility!” initiated by the Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office.
Ms Boateng said childhood vaccines were disease-preventable and helped the child develop immunity against some sicknesses.
The vaccines covered tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumonia, rubella, measles, yellow fever, influenza, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease.
She said if every child went through the vaccination, Ghana would not only reduce its childhood diseases but also reach the needed immunity and subsequent elimination.
Mr Larkae said with efficient and effective immunisation against polio over the years, Ghana was able to reach the stage of almost eliminating the disease until it unfortunately relapsed.
He said the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, which was primarily used against tuberculosis (BCG), was the first vaccine a child received at birth, and two oral doses of the polio vaccine were given before discharge from the hospital.
The BCG is given just under the skin of the upper right arm and, therefore, no medicine should be applied on it, as doing so could lead to an opening, which would result in the vaccination being lost, thereby preventing the child from getting the intended protection.
Parents should leave it to develop into blisters, which would then dry up and heal, providing the child with protection against TB, he said.
GNA