Vaccination is the most common method of increasing immunisation, as it is the easiest, safest and most effective way to prevent diseases, especially among children who need additional protection from contracting illnesses.

Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City’s Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist Dr Lee Mei Ling in a statement today said vaccinating children is very important because it protects and reduces the risk of them contracting serious or fatal diseases.

“A vaccine is a dead, or weakened version or part of the germ that causes the disease in question. When children are vaccinated, their immune systems will form antibodies to protect them from contracting the disease.

“When children are given one dose or an additional dose, they will be protected for years. This proves that vaccination is the most effective, safe and wise way to produce an immune response in the body, without causing any illness,” she said.

She added that the antibodies formed in children’s bodies will help their bodies to recognise certain germs or bacteria, so that it can fight the disease in the future.

Dr Lee said that based on the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) Immunisation Schedule, vaccines are provided free of charge in all government clinics and hospitals throughout the country to enable children to receive injections as scheduled.

She said apart from the Japanese encephalitis vaccine which is only compulsory in Sarawak, every child must receive their vaccines according to schedule unless it is due to any underlying illness or medical condition which requires further discussion with the doctor.

There are 12 preventable diseases listed under the NIP including diphtheria, haemophilus influenza type B, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, measles, mumps, pertussis, poliomyelitis, rubella, tetanus and tuberculosis.

NIP was introduced in the early 1950s and was designed based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).

According to Dr Lee, the immune response to antigens and immunisation can be divided into two categories which are the primary response or secondary response.

“The primary immune response to an antigen takes between 10 to 14 days to allow the body to produce antibodies. For the secondary immune response against the same pathogen, the memory cells generated before will react faster to produce antibodies to prevent infection, which is to kill the pathogen before it causes an individual to get sick,” she said.

She said not all vaccines confer lifelong immunity as it depends on the type of vaccine, for example vaccines for measles and hepatitis B will give immunity for life, while tetanus or influenza will last for many years but require regular shots (boosters) to ensure continued protection.

Dr Lee also pointed out that the issue of children missing out on the necessary vaccinations (Missed Opportunity Vaccinations) is because the parents do not check their children’s vaccine status or the lack of knowledge about the contraindications of vaccination.

“If children are not vaccinated, they will be exposed to the risk of contracting diseases that could be preventable through vaccines. There may be parents who question the effectiveness of vaccines but they should understand that vaccines or immunisations are important to protect their children for the long term.

“The benefits are far more than the side effects that may occur. Parents are also advised to listen to the views or opinions of relevant medical experts before making any decisions,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency