Immunization prevents diseases, disabilities, and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), such as cervical cancer, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, paroditis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis A and B, bacterial pneumonias, rotavirus diarrheal diseases and bacterial meningitis.
Speaking on Plan B FM’s family, relationship, and lifestyle show dubbed NYANSAPO FIE, hosted by Nana Asabea Asare on the Topic “IMMUNISATION”, Madam Fafa Badu a Public Health Nurse from Tema Polyclinic stressed that, to be immune is to be partially or fully resistant to a specific infectious disease or disease-causing organism, a person who is immune can resist the bacteria or viruses that cause a disease, but the protection is never perfect.
She advised that immunisation saves lives and It protects us, our family and the community.
“Immunisation helps protect future generations by eradicating diseases. Many infectious diseases are rare or eradicated now as a result of immunisation programs, but new infectious diseases are appearing around the world” she stated
She emphasised that during the first months of a baby’s life, routine vaccines can help protect the child from a variety of serious or potentially fatal diseases, a vaccine is the best protection from three serious diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis).
She said immunization is a permanent or long-lasting response means that if someone is exposed to the actual disease, the antibodies are in place and the body knows how to fight the disease so the person doesn’t get sick which described as immunity.
She further stated that Hepatitis B is the first vaccine most babies receive.
“It is given within 24 hours of birth. Your baby will get a second dose of hepatitis B vaccine when they are 1 month to 2 months old and the third dose when they are 6 months to 18 months old, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine are examples. Killed (inactivated) vaccines are made from a protein or other small pieces taken from a virus or bacteria. The whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine is an example” she concluded
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