Eliminating contagious diseases

The Ministry of Health plans to introduce three new vaccines to eliminate a range of contagious diseases, a senior official said.

The measures would include compound vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, as well as polio, chicken pox, hepatitis and haemophilus flu.

Hassan Ahmed Al Elkeem, undersecretary at the ministry, said the plan would expand the success achieved so far by the ministry in eliminating disease, adding that the vaccination programme would ensure the health of UAE nationals and expatriates alike.

A report on the proposed vaccines and their cost has been drafted by the ministry's Contagious Diseases Department for appraisal.

It highlights the importance of administering vaccines to protect the population and asks the ministry to increase the budget for inoculations from Dh15 million to Dh25 million.

Al Elkeem said the government vaccination programme is administered to newborn babies to 18-year-olds and that the vaccines have been certified as safe by medical experts. The ministry always provides primary health care centres with a range of vaccines for children and the elderly.

The ministry has succeeded in achieving a high percentage of vaccine coverage in the country, including a 98 per cent coverage against pulmonary tuberculosis. Other coverage rates are: 94 per cent against polio, 92 per cent against hepatitis, 94 per cent against measles and 94 per cent against the most prevalent strain of influenza.