The Cayman Islands joins with other countries, from Canada to the tip of South America and throughout the Caribbean, for the fifth anniversary of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) until 28 April.
Immunization Programme Officer Alice Jane Ebanks says the aim of Vaccination Week is to increase and strengthen routine immunization coverage and advance awareness of new and effective vaccines that can help save lives and prevent disease.
As announced by the Minister of Health, Hon. Anthony Eden, the Cayman Islands is poised to introduce new vaccines in its childhood vaccination schedule this year.
Each year the Cayman Islands aim to immunize more than 600 infants resident in the islands. According to Cayman’s recommended childhood immunization schedule, by 15 months infants should have received the following vaccines, which will protect them from 11 vaccine-preventable diseases.
Three doses of Hepatitis B; (At birth, 6 weeks, 9 months)
One dose of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin – TB vaccine); (At 6 weeks)
Three doses of the combined DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough), IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) and Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b); (At 2, 4, 6 months)
One dose of varicella (chickenpox); (At 12 months)
One dose of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella); & booster dose of combined DTaP and Hib. (At 15 months)
Previously, most of the Immunization coverage was over 90% but all have fallen below 90% in 2005.
However, Ms Ebanks emphasizes that the Public Health Department endeavours to identify the defaulters and improve the rate of immunization coverage. “We must maintain a high rate of coverage of 95% or over to prevent our nation from experiencing the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases.”
She is urging all parents to learn more about childhood immunization and ensure that their children are fully protected.
For assistance regarding immunization/vaccination, contact your private paediatrician or:
Ms Ebanks noted that this the fifth year of this international effort is an opportunity to bolster vaccination efforts, herald primary health care, and improve health outcomes throughout the hemisphere.
“It comes at an exciting time for the Americas, building on the successes of smallpox eradication in the 1970s, polio eradication in 1991, measles elimination in 1998, and the coming elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome” said Ms Ebanks. (see table). Additional information about VWA, as well as National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), a US event that is part of VWA, and childhood vaccination, is available from CDC’s National Immunization Programme at www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/default Information on VWA is available at www.paho.org/English/DD/PIN/vw07_press.htm.
