Loop News- Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has called on parents of young children on St Kitts and Nevis to ensure they are vaccinated against preventable viruses such as polio and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).
Drew, who is also the minister of health, made the plea as he kicked off the annual Vaccination and Immunization Week (VWA) under the theme: “Get up-to-date. #EachVaccineCounts”.
“Vaccines are safe and save lives! In St Kitts and Nevis, all vaccines offered under the national EPI program have been procured through Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) revolving Fund. Vaccines purchased through this route meet internationally recommended quality, safety, and efficacy standards for their development, manufacture, transportation, and control,” he said.
“The Ministry of Health is appealing to parents to do all in their power to ensure that their infants and children are vaccinated according to schedule. Infants are at the highest risk for contracting communicable diseases since their immune system is not fully developed at birth.”
Drew said the Americas America’s is facing new measles outbreaks after it was declared measles-free in 2016. While two people in Peru and the United States tested positive for polio recently.
He stated many children in the region are susceptible to becoming infected with MMR since they did not receive their vaccines in 2020 and 2021.
“In 2022, in Saint Kitts and Nevis, the MMR1 coverage rate was 95 per cent and the MMR2 coverage rate was 93 per cent. The aim of the public health team is to target the defaulters during this VWA campaign to increase the coverage rate to 95 per cent and above. The measles and polio vaccines are essential for the protection of our children and loved ones,” the PM said.
Vaccine week runs from April 22 to 29.
This year, St Kitts and Nevis’s VWA campaign will focus on:
- Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV): re-sensitization of the public about its benefits in protecting individuals and loved ones.
- Locating and immunizing those persons who were difficult to reach and failed to receive vaccines in 2022.
- Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine: sensitizing farmers about the importance of this vaccine for their healthy living.
