Public health conducts major vaccine drive
(CNS): The Public Health Department is marking the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) 21st annual Vaccination Week with a national vaccination drive. This year’s theme is “Get up-to-date #EachVaccineCounts”. Parents with children who need vaccinations, including missed or outstanding doses, are urged to attend the events over the next two weekends or make an appointment with their local clinic.
“Over the years, the Public Health Department has developed and maintained a robust vaccination schedule with a coverage rate of 95% for most vaccines,” said Public Health Nurse and EPI Manager Angela Graham. “Despite this achievement, there are still some children who do not complete their vaccine schedule, thus leaving themselves and other vulnerable groups at risk.”
Graham encouraged parents to make and keep appointments to get children up to date on all shots. “Our Public Health team will continue to work with schools, parents and the public to get up to date those children and adults to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases allowing them to live happier healthier lives,” she added.
In the face of continued anti-vax misinformation across social media, Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said all shots used here are approved by PAHO and stressed the safety and importance of children being vaccinated.
“All vaccines used in the Cayman Islands are safe and are administered in accordance with guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and PAHO. Vaccines are safe and save lives,” he added.
The next vaccination drive will take place in the John Gray High School Auditorium on Saturday, 6 May, at the Mary Miller Hall between 9am and 2pm. Appointments can be made in advance by contacting 244-2648 and walk-ins are also welcome. Parents will also be contacted to schedule appointments for those who have outstanding vaccines with Public Health.
Adults needing Tetanus boosters or health care workers who need Hep B vaccines may also attend.
The current childhood immunization schedule recommends that, by the age of 15 months, infants should have received the following vaccines, which offer protection against 15 diseases:
- Three doses of hepatitis B; (at birth, six weeks and nine months)
- One dose of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin – tuberculosis vaccine); (at six weeks)
- Three doses of rotavirus; (six weeks, four months, and six months)
- Three doses of the combined DT&P (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), IPV (inactivated polio vaccine), and Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b) at two, four, and six months)
- Three doses of pneumococcal vaccine (Prevnar) at two, four, and six months
- One dose of varicella (chickenpox) and a booster of pneumococcal (at 12 months)
- One dose of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella); and a booster dose of combined DT&P and Hib (at 15 months)
- Combined booster dose of DT&P and Hib at 15 months and a second booster of DT&P at 4 years old.
- Children also need booster doses of combined DT&P and IPV and a second dose of Varicella (chicken pox) at school entry (four to five years).
- Annual influenza (flu) vaccine is recommended for children six months and older and all adults.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is offered to girls in Year 7 in public schools with parental consent. Girls older than 12 years old are also offered this vaccine with parental consent if they did not get the vaccine in Year 7.
In addition to childhood immunization, vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases for adults are also available, including boosters for tetanus and diphtheria, Zoster vaccines against shingles, as well as the annual influenza vaccine, COVID-19 Vaccine and Pneumococcal vaccines.
For information regarding immunizations, contact your private paediatrician or the following district health centres:
Public Health Department: 244-2648
West Bay Health Centre: 949-3439
Bodden Town Health Centre: 947-2299
East End Health Centre: 947-7440
North Side Health Centre: 947-9525
Faith Hospital, Cayman Brac: 948-2243
Little Cayman Clinic: 948-0072 /916-5395
The childhood immunization schedule is available online on hsa.ky
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Category: Health, Medical Health
It’s too bad that Samuel Williams-Rodriguez lied to the public when he confidently proclaimed in August 2021 “contrary to the claims being made on social media, Cayman’s death rate this year is lower than last year”.
His, HSA and the WHOs lack of credibility is troubling to put it kindly.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2021/08/border-opening-dates-sill-on-track/
https://www.eso.ky/populationandvitalstatistics.html
Have any studies been done on the rise of dairy allergies and vaccines?
Watch what you eat. Remember all convenience products are full of $&”&$. Look at the older population you hardly hear about any allergies. All I can say welcome to the “Americanized World “
The older population was conceived, born and growing up in a relatively free of chemicals world.
Yes, have you read it though?
When will HSA restock Shingrix-zoster vaccine for >50 adults to protect against Shingles?
Shingles usually manifest when there’s cancer somewhere in a body. You can mask cancer canary with shingles shots losing precious time to diagnose and treat it.
Complete nonsense. Cite your sources.
“ People with specific forms of cancer are particularly susceptible to shingles because these cancers directly affect the functioning of the immune system. In these people shingles can often develop before a diagnosis of cancer is even made meaning that shingles acts as a diagnostic symptom.”
https://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/shingles.htm#:~:text=People%20with%20specific%20forms%20of,acts%20as%20a%20diagnostic%20symptom.
“People with specific forms of cancer are particularly susceptible to shingles because these cancers directly affect the functioning of the immune system. In these people shingles can often develop before a diagnosis of cancer is even made meaning that shingles acts as a diagnostic symptom. That is why it is so important that the underlying cause of the shingles be discovered in every patient. In fact, around five percent of people who develop shingles later discover that they have an undiagnosed form of cancer that may have remained undetected for a considerable amount of time had they not developed shingles.“ https://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/shingles.htm#:~:text=People%20with%20specific%20forms%20of,acts%20as%20a%20diagnostic%20symptom.
Herpes zoster as a marker of underlying malignancy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863753/
The risk of a subsequent cancer diagnosis after herpes zoster infection: primary care database study https://www.nature.com/articles/bjc201313
Risk of Herpes Zoster Prior to and Following Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/220/1/3/5234729
ENOUGH???? I swear Caymanians are the dumbest people on planet Earth.
Because I KNOW how immune system works and when and why shingles manifest in a human body. Because people I know had shingles first, then they were diagnosed with cancer.
My father had shingles and never had cancer. His friend the same.
Shingles could be mild or severe. One or two blisters versus half of ones body. So not everyone with shingles has an underlying cancer, yet doctors must investigate each and every shingles case.
Positive Paraneoplastic panel test is also an indicator of an underlying cancer which is yet to be diagnosed. Hardly any doctor knows about or requests this test. Interestingly, optometrists and ophthalmologists request this test if unexplained neurological symptoms affects a patient’s vision. Neuro-optometrists are trained to diagnose Paraneoplastic Syndrome while neurologists not.
Talking to morons is a difficult task.
You need to go back to med school.
You need to remain in your cave.
You sound like someone that put garlic and onion in their socks to prevent COVID.
I am not jabbed, wear no face mask and had no Covid, so garlic and onion in my socks do work.
This is where ignorance of parents has real world repercussions for their children. Get childhood vaccinations!!!
Go hide under your bed you nut. Pandemic is over.
they aren’t referring to covid. it’s other diseases that we no longer worry about like polio. you’re probably too young to have had friends and family that were paralyzed by it
Did you read the list of vaccines? It is not about the covid pandemic. Rather things like polio, chicken pox, diphtheria, mumps, measles, tetanus and whooping cough. Don’t be stupid.
As pointed out, I’m not referring to covid.
Unfortunately, there’s not yet a vaccine for stupidity.
Lol!!!
Oh I wish there was a vaccine for stupidity! But it will be similar to the Covid vaccine- It won’t prevent you from being stupid, it will only make you less stupid.
Great they are doing this as there is a wait of months to get an appointment at the Smith Road vaccination clinic. Please advise why senior citizens have to pay for shots (not covered by insurance either) such as pneumonia?
Please explaining why you are thumbs down voting? Surely cheaper for HSA to give granny the pneumonia shot than have her hospitalised with pneumonia.