Healthy Living looks at immunization of babies

In Healthy Living this week we look at what parents need to do to keep children and babies healthy – immunization.

Marleni Cuellar, Reporting
When it comes to preventative health care, the success of immunization is a good example. The Ministry of Health reports that in the period 2000 to 2008 an overwhelming ninety percent of the population had vaccination coverage. What’s more there have been no outbreaks in vaccine preventable diseases since 1991. Closely linked to maintaining this good coverage is the understanding by parents of their child’s immunization schedule. Paediatrician, Dr Cecilio Eck, helps us to understand the importance of immunization and the recommended schedule.

Dr. Cecilio Eck, Paediatrician
“An immunization is a half killed or attenuated germ that is injected or put into the body and our body’s natural immunes system fights against it. Our body’s immune system create antibodies that remember this germ so when we come in contact with it in the real world the real bad germ our bodies can deal with it effectively. In most cases without us even knowing that we were infected. It protects the kid your child and most of the immunizations we make protect kids against germs that can kill or can seriously affect them. The second thing is that it helps to slowly decrease the amount of illnesses out there.”

Immunity to diseases is formed primarily by getting sick and recovering. The second most common way to gain immunity is by getting a vaccine. As Dr. Eck explains, just because we no longer experience illnesses such as polio or small pox it does not mean that we should stop getting protected.

Dr. Cecilio Eck
“Polio has been eradicated from the new world for many years but we still have to be vigilant and to be vigilant means continuing giving immunizations to the kids to prevent it from resurging. For Belize, at birth or certainly within a month they should get the B.C.G. protects against tuberculosis and it’s the one that leaves a scar on our right arms. The second wave starts at two months, four months and six months and this is the D.T.P., HIB, hepatitis B. The D stands for diphtheria, which is an awful sore throat that can block up your airway, the T is tetanus or lock jaw, the P is Pertussis or whooping cough. Those three along with Haemophilus Influenza type B, that’s another germ that causes throat infections, pneumonia and meningitis and the fifth component to that shot is hepatitis B which causes liver damage. All of those are in the one syringe; it’s given in the leg, two months, four months, six months along with oral polio drops that protects against polio. For kids over six months we start to give the flu and that is given yearly. At a year you get the first Measles Mumps and Rubela Shot and at two years the second M.M.R. At four to six years of age, this is when they get you at the school you get your booster D.P.T. And the last shot should be given at ten to fourteen years a booster tetanus and diphtheria shot that is given just before high school.”

For each specific immunization there is also what is called a ‘catch-up policy’ meaning that if you have missed any of these vaccinations a visit to the clinic or your paediatrician may offer some assistance on how and when to catch up and that’s if the health care workers don’t catch you first.

Dr. Cecilio Eck
“Our immunization program in Belize is excellent if you miss, the nurses actually go to your home to catch you or they go to the specific grades at school to make sure all the kids are immunized before they move on.”

Some parents refuse for religious reasons, while some find it unnecessary and there are even a few who want to mix and match their own concoction. This underscores the importance of understanding the immunization protocol. Cost should not be a prohibitive factor as the government provides the basic immunizations for free at the health centers countrywide.

Dr. Cecilio Eck
“Immunize your kids, get what the government offers. It makes sense it will protect your kids. You don’t want your kids to be the only unprotected kid if there is an outbreak. The second thing that I should mention is that in addition to the immunization protocol that Belize offers—the ministry of health in Belize offers—there are additional vaccines.”

Vaccines are also available at the semi-private clinics, the national health insurance clinics and private health clinics. However, there is a cost associated at these institutions. The private institutions also offer additional vaccines, not included in the immunization protocol. This includes vaccinations for chicken pox, meningitis and the rotavirus. These newer vaccines are more expensive but are available.